Restorative Rest

Restorative Rest

As we consider restorative rest, a red flag goes up in my mind. Can we become legalistic about this? Absolutely! From my chair, I'd say if we CAN become law-keepers over something, we most likely WILL or at least be tempted to be. So take heed to my warning. I am not suggesting getting rest become one more thing on your to-do list. That seems counter-productive. What is the Sabbath principle?

Ex. 20: 8-11, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."The Sabbath principle is not intended to give us one more thing to do. It is for our benefit, restorative in nature.

What does a 21st century Sabbath Rest look like? What does it mean to keep it holy? One definition of the word "Holy" is "to sanctify." Sanctify is to set apart to a sacred purpose or to a religious use.1

So to answer this question for you, ask what it would look like in YOUR life to have one day set apart that is different from the other six days of the week. You may wonder how you will get everything done if you have only six days to do what you used to do in seven. Based on this excerpt from Leviticus it appears the Israelites wondered the same thing...

Leviticus 25: 1-4, 20-22, "And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard..." And if you say, 'What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?' Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.'"

God increased the productivity of the land to produce in six years what they would have produced in seven. God will increase your productivity to accomplish in six days what you used to do in seven.

I wrote a Victory call 8.23.07 about how the Lord challenged me and taught me to trust him to do this very thing. 2 It requires trust, faith and obedience. To enjoy the benefits of a Sabbath rest will require that you step out in faith. It is a step of faith... will you believe? Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK.

Will you consider joining us this year for one of our Anniversary Banquets? Tuesday, 9.09.08 Shady Maple Restaurant, East Earl, PA
Thursday, 9.11.08 DockWoods Community, Lansdale, PA
Monday, 9.15.08 Masso’s Crystal Manor, Glassboro, NJ
Tuesday, 9.16.08 America's Keswick, Whiting, NJ
Wednesday,9.17.08 America's Keswick, Whiting, NJ