Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Today’s Verse: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…Deuteronomy 5:14 (NIV)
My car crawled slowly northward in the rush-hour traffic. I had stared at the same rear bumper for ten agonizingly slow miles. “The Best Never Rest!” it proclaimed. As I pondered that statement, I realized that, indeed, the Best had rested on the seventh day of Creation. In fact, He thought it was so important, that He mandated rest for the land as well as the people He had created. But why had He rested? Surely God didn’t get tired, did He?
With a start I realized that God rested because He was celebrating His holiness, His awesomeness, after a week that displayed His glory. And, as our Father, He was modeling that pattern for His children to follow. We set aside time for physical rest each day, even when we don’t feel tired. Vital health requires it. Likewise, regularly setting apart one day each week to reflect on God’s power and glory renews us spiritually, and gives us strength for the demands of the new week.
—Patricia S. Baker
“Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest.” —John Newton, “Saturday Evening”
©2006 by Patricia S. Baker
First printed in The Quiet Hour, (September-November 2006, Vol. 70, No. 1, p.68)
