“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest” (Ex. 34:21).
God commanded the Israelites to rest once a week, even in the days of harvest, the most busy time of the year. All worldly business had to give way to holy rest, even when it seemed as if there wasn’t time for it. We need to make time to come away from our worldly concerns and to spend extended, intimate time with the Lord. The more we are consumed by our affairs, the more our hearts are drawn away from Him. This happens especially during those times when everything seems to demand our time, when work is piled high, when our families demand our attention, when the church is calling for us to help in one more ministry. During these times we are tempted to coast along, barely keeping our heads above water, finding little or no rest in the Lord because we don’t take the time to be with Him. In passages such as the one before us, we are reminded of how much we need to take time, even a little every day, to rest in the Lord, to meditate on His Word, to commune with Him in the quiet solitude of the closet. It is too easy to forget the importance of resting in Him. Before we know it our hearts have grown cold, our patience toward others has dwindled, and our ability to cope with the demands of life has been lost. By resting in the Lord we may avoid these pitfalls and find the strength to do our work well, to love our families, and to serve His church.
God also told His people that they had to appear before the Lord, the God of Israel, a command He had given previously. In all our religious approaches to God, we must look upon Him as the Lord God, infinitely blessed, great, and glorious. Only when we approach Him as the God of Scripture can we worship Him with reverence and godly fear. He is the God who made a covenant with us, and we can be encouraged to trust in Him and to serve Him joyfully.
When you step away from your busy schedule to spend time with the Lord, focus on who He is. You can only do this by reading and meditating on His Word. When you open the Scriptures, think about the various attributes of God, meditate on what He has done for you. Focus on Him, not only on what you need to do to serve Him. Only when you truly know Him can you trust Him, rest in Him, and serve Him with joy and delight.
Do you have a set time when you can step away from your duties and spend time with the Lord? Do you often feel overwhelmed by all your activities and responsibilities? Take some time out, even if it means cancelling something, and spend time in prayer and in meditation on the Word. Make this a holy habit.
