Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Based Upon Exodus 20:8
As time rapidly spirals into the future, our lives become cluttered with so much activity that many of us are completely burned out. We sometimes suffer from diseases related to overwork with far too many things competing for our attention. God knew that humans would be so bogged down with everyday life, that we would need a respite; a reprieve. Simply taking a vacation or several breaks throughout the day is just not enough for this machinery to be well-rested and prepared to meet the rigors of everyday life. With wars and rumors of wars, fear of the unknown, and incurable diseases pressing in on our psyche, we need supernatural rest.
The Lord in His great wisdom devised a plan to give us the rest that we need.
Jesus bought our salvation on Calvary and is now putting the finishing touches on the gift in the way of intercession in heaven in order for us to enter the salvific rest of God. We do not labor for our salvation. Rather, we rest in the perfect work of Jesus Christ.
In order to remind us of the great work of creation and re-creation, God has a commemorative time, week after week, for us to rest. The command to rest says that we are to labor for six days and on the seventh, which is Saturday, we rest. This rest is worshipful in nature. This rest recognizes God as the only Creator and Savior of the universe. This rest is for the people of God to consummate their growing love and relationship with God. No other time than the time the Lord has set aside will satisfy that need, because no other time was specifically blessed and sanctified by Him. We daily worship the Lord during the week leading up to the only day that God has sanctified as holy when we can focus on His goodness, uninterrupted by the mundane chores of life.
Isn’t it wonderful that God has the answer to our need for spiritual and physical rest? Please do not forget what God said to remember. Enter into God’s rest.
