Holy Day

“If you hold back your foot on the Sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight... I will nourish you...” Isaiah 58:13-14

I am always on the lookout for promises in the Bible because I know God keeps His promises. Here in Isaiah, God says that if we stop engaging in our usual frantic busyness during the day God set apart, slow down and pursue what delights Him who made time and space, He will take care of us. Other translations read, “I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob...”, “and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob." This particular version ends with, “Know for certain that the LORD has spoken.”

I am not always faithful to this 3rd or 4th Commandment. Some of my work carries over to the weekend. But we should take it seriously because our Father takes it seriously. I think like all the Commandments it is really more for our benefit. We have only one life to live and to make the most of it does not mean cramming every minute and every hour with activity and movement. Some studies show that a lack of sleep and rest places us at higher risk for diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and even Alzheimer’s. It can impair our learning of new things, our memory and decision making. 

God gave us the Bible, His Commandments, and teachings, because He made us. When we buy an appliance, it usually comes with a manual put together by the maker. We have to read the manual to make optimum use of the appliance, to make it last long, and to find out all it can do. Same with us. How amazing is our Creator, that He emphasizes that once a week, we rest and delight in Him!