#DailyDevotion The Lord Gives You Rest In Himself And His Word

Mark 6:30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them,  “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

 

Now if the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles needed time to rest, eat and pray how much more everyone else. It isn’t good to work nonstop. The Lord himself set a precedent by taking off work on the first Saturday in creation. He set aside a day of rest for mankind to regroup, to rest, to rejoice, worship and pray. Jesus, the Lord in the flesh, also time to rest, eat and to pray. If Jesus needs time to do his how much more do you, frail, puny human in fallen flesh need to set time aside for this?

 

So even while the Sabbath as given the Jews no longer applies, the principle of natural law, written in our hearts tells us we need to time to rest, eat, worship and pray. We teach, “Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day. What does this mean?–Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.”

It is not enough that we spend a day in leisure but that leisure be  resting in the Lord, in his word and prayer.

 

The Lord was also careful in the Law of Moses to have festivals several times a year for his people to rest and rejoice in. He also gave new moon festivals and the like. All these were given so that man would have chance to rest from their labors and rest in the Lord, his word, and in worship. The Church has recognized this as well and has set aside times of worship for rest in the Lord. We gather on Sundays, Christmas, Lent, Advent, Easter and other festival days. It is a shame much of the Protestant world has done away with a lot of these that they are no longer recognized as days of rest in the countries they now reside. But even the world recognizes, because of the law on their hearts, we need festivals and the like and they invent them, but not for the rest in the Lord and reception of the word but rather has turned them into days of debauchery and the like.

 

Nevertheless, you Christian, follow the example of the Lord and take a day of rest, observe the Church’s festivals and rest in the Lord by ceasing work for a while, and spend time in the Word, with fellow Christians and receive the sacrament to be refreshed as Jesus intended.

 

Heavenly Father, by the example you have given in Moses you showed you intend for man to rest during the week from our labors and spend time in worship and prayer with fellow believers. Grant us such faith that we follow our Lord’s example that we may find rest in Jesus our Sabbath and rejoice in all your goodness towards us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.