Find Rest
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me to catch hold of the significance of decisions made in private, and to say yes to You when no one sees.
Read DEUTERONOMY 5:1-22
[1] Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. [2] The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. [3] It was not with our ancestors that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. [4] The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. [5] (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: [6] “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. [7] “You shall have no other gods before me. [8] “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [9] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, [10] but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. [11] “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. [12] “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. [13] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [14] but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. [15] Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. [16] “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. [17] “You shall not murder. [18] “You shall not commit adultery. [19] “You shall not steal. [20] “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. [21] “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” [22] These are the commandments the LORD proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How do these commands reflect God's care for us?Can you list all Ten Commandments in order? Did you spot what Moses says (1)? “Learn them and be sure to follow them.” Learning Scripture ensures that God’s words are always in our hearts and minds.And yet, Jesus showed how keeping even the Ten Commandments perfectly is impossible (see Matt. 5:21,22, 27,28). Thankfully we are saved by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8), but we need to heed these words if we want to respond rightly to God. For many believers that response takes the form of hard work–at home, in the office, at school, in the street, in church–as we do our best for God. But at what cost? Burnout is far too common in churches, both in leaders and members. Our mental and physical health and relationships suffer when work–even Christian work–becomes an idol. The principle of resting on one day a week (12-15) is built into creation itself (see Gen. 2:2,3). We have a responsibility to follow that pattern and to encourage others to do the same (14), to guard against any work becoming an idol.
Apply
Carve out a time for yourself, each week, for rest and restoration in the Lord.
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