Day 9 – Rest is freedom

“𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘨𝘺𝘱𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘺.” 𝘋𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 5:15 𝘕𝘓𝘛

As Moses recalls Israel’s journey from the exodus out of Egypt, their wanderings and victories, he reminds the nation of the Covenant Community they made with the Lord through the Commandments received at Sinai. They were slaves in Egypt and were not allowed any time for rest. This sacred day was stripped from them as a nation, forcing them to labour nonstop for an Empire that had no regard for their humanity. In our modern era, we might not be slaving away like the Israelites, yet we are slaves to time. Trying our utmost best to fit everything in our busy schedules and ticking to-do lists, and (it seems) we never have enough time to do it all.

This reminder notes that they were slaves, but now are free, and God is commanding them to rest. Why is it that the one thing we want to be free from (𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦) is the one thing that keeps us away from what we need (𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵)? Through the Sabbath, God not only wants us to rest, but He weaved in a freedom unshackling us as slaves of this world’s time. Resting in Him brings an unexpected freedom to live.

Prayer: Father, thank You that we now know that we do not need to be slaves to our time and that rest in You is freeing. Help me to rest in Your freedom and not place myself constantly under the slavery yoke of time. Amen.