I sometimes wonder if the hectic pace of life many of us try to maintain doesn't lead us to become much like a dog chasing its tail - a lot of energy is being expended with little progress to be shown for it. Often, it seems, the calendar controls us rather than the other way around. If you can relate, why not take a minute to slow down, relax and read these few lines?

Genesis 2:2 reads, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." God resting, now that's a concept to consider!

Why did God rest on that seventh day of creation? It certainly wasn't because the Almighty was tired. After all, he was - and still is - almighty! No, he rested not because he was tired but because he wanted to set an example for us. He knew that we were not almighty (a good thing to remind ourselves us regularly) and that we needed to establish a healthy rhythm of work and rest.

Later, as he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the Sabbath was established. 52 days each year, the people were to do no work. Interestingly enough, the Old Testament law also required that 19 additional days during the year (days associated with various religious feasts) would be days on which no work was to be done.

Let's do the math. If you add up the 52 Sabbaths and then these 19 additional days the total comes to 71 days. The equivalent of 10 weeks of rest was to be built into each year. Amazing!

Now, let's think about our lives. How much resting do we do? Probably not nearly enough! We rush through the day trying to cram something into very available moment. Not wise. The rhythm of work and rest is largely missing today.

Please bear in mind that these days of rest God called for where to be days when the people's attention was fixed on him. They were days to reflect on God's goodness and his faithfulness to keep his promises. Further, they were days to be reminded that they were God's people, subject to his commands.

When these days of rest were observed in the right spirit they resulted in not only in the restoration of physical strength but also in spiritual refreshing. Physical restoration and spiritual refreshing, can you think of two things that are truly more important?

I'm old enough to remember the advertising slogan the Ford Motor Company used years ago. That line proudly proclaimed that Ford had "a better idea." And, when it came to making automobiles that were safe and dependable, perhaps that was true. However, of this I am sure, when it comes to how to manage life, God does have a better idea. Rather than to spend all our energy in constant activity, he calls us to rest and in that process to contemplate his goodness to us as well as to remember his commandments. I encourage you this week to make time for such rest!

Mark is the Pastor of the Evangel Assembly of God located at 1633 Portage Road, Wooster, Ohio, and he would like to extend a cordial invitation for you to join them in worship. If you do not live locally but will be visiting some of the popular attractions in nearby Holmes County, please consider making Evangel one of your stops.

"Reflections" is updated each week with sermons and discourses that reflect the spiritual life of the local community and encourage us to dedicate time and effort to renewing our faith. As we endeavor to represent all faiths, we heartily encourage religious leaders of every denomination and creed to submit copy to be considered for this column.

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