I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really been one to make New Year’s resolutions. They usually just end up being a recipe for disappointment as I could never stick to the ones I’ve made over the years as I often overestimated my abilities and time, or they were just plain unrealistic. But recently, through my studies and time with God, I have realized there is something major I’ve been overlooking that I need to set as a goal and make it a priority in my life: true rest.
Genesis 2:2-3 gives us the foundation of what Sabbath rest looks like. This is not the same kind of rest as falling asleep because we are tired. Clearly, God was not tired after creating. The word sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat meaning “to cease or pause. To rest.” God demonstrated this kind of rest as an intentional time to stop working and to rest in the goodness of what he has done in our lives.
The Jews of Jesus’ day began their days at sundown, by sharing a meal with family and friends and physically resting. They would then work out of this rest, something that seems foreign to us. It’s important for us to take time each and every day with God, reflecting on who He is and what He’s done. It is by spending this time with Him that we find we have real energy and strength to approach our days. And the best time to start this kind of rest is now.
-Mr. Dogterom
Middle School Teacher