March 27, 2012 | Leave a comment Today, Tuesday March 27, 2012, is the thirty-second day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” busyness and “put on” Sabbath rest. You and I live in a time when people go, go, go and seldom rest. As a culture we have become too busy. God has a remedy to our increasing levels of stress. His remedy is largely ignored by us, however. We are supposed to take one day of every seven and REST! There are two passages of Scripture which present God’s reasons for instituting the Sabbath day of rest. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:11 (ESV) 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:15 (ESV) God’s reasons for the Sabbath rest are: Because God finished creation in six days, and then rested on the seventh He, teaches us to rest after six days of labor. They were to rest in order to reflect on God’s ability to work beyond the labors they had already completed. Israel did not deliver itself from Egypt. It could not. When they came to the Red Sea they panicked. They did not know how they were going to get through the waters. But God opened the waters before them. So these are the two aspects of the Sabbath – creation and redemption. There are two forms of rest. There is a rest of cessation; a ceasing from our own works; and there is the rest of rejoicing in the mighty delivering power of God. That is a rest of faith in the mighty hand of God. Jesus spoke of both of these in Matthew 11:28-29. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV) Just come, Jesus says, “Come to me.” Trust me. Rest upon what I have already done, and I will give you a rest. This is the rest of cessation. Then he said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” [this is a process] “. . . and you will find rest for your souls.” In this passage Jesus teaches us that there is a rest that is given and a rest that is found, as we walk with Him. Both of these are components of the Sabbath rest. Today we need to rely on God’s provision, strength, and grace to carry us through life. Ray C. Stedman (was pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, CA) taught that Sabbath rest was God’s stress management program. Burnout occurs from being overstressed. We all need to stop and rest, and learn what God can do beyond what we have done. One of the most successful fast food restaurant chains, Chick-fil-a does not open on Sunday. Although many believe such business models are out of date this chain continues to prosper and expand. I have learned in my own life to detect certain signs of stress, and that rest is important. Stephen Covey teaches businessmen in his popular 7 Habits of Highly Effective People the importance of what he calls “sharpening the saw.” Stedman trained himself to take “mini-Sabbaths.” He taught that whenever you feel pressured at any time, try to get a half hour alone. Then: Start by taking ten deep breaths to relax your physical body. Ask God to speak to you during this time. Review your life for the past few weeks: How much you have been driven? What are your pressures and problems, etc. Then ask God to help you put order and priority into your life. Take time to evaluate where you are spiritually. Make some new commitments. Write down those items that you feel are really important. Ask yourself, “If I only had a month to live, how would I spend my time?” Put your focus on God at work in your life. This is God’s stress management program as taught by Ray Stedman. Today you and I need to “put off” busyness and “put on” Sabbath rest.