Rest

Check out all the previous Rest readings here.

Rest Reading Plan | Day 4

Prayer

Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Ask God to give you His wisdom today.

Bible Reading: Mark 2:27

Read these verses three times slowly.

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Reflection & Questions

Often people’s view of God is that He wants things from us. He wants money from us. Time from us. He is viewed as a taker, not a giver. The reality is far different. In His design of us, and His instructions that follow that design, the reality is He wants something for us. He wants to give us Himself.

In today’s verse, Jesus is making that exact point. The Pharisees and other religious leaders had made the Sabbath a burden, a thing that God wanted from the people. Their view of God, and His instructions, were skewed. Jesus makes it clear: Sabbath is for man. To Sabbath literally means to cease. It is to stop working. It is about worshipping God by enjoying His blessings and the fruits of our labor. So when Jesus says the Sabbath is FOR man, He is emphasizing that this is a good thing that God gave us. It isn’t a burden. It isn’t about being a stickler for rules. It is meant to be something to look forward to. Something to be excited about. Something that gives freedom, joy and refreshment.

1. Do you see Sabbath as a gift for you or something God wants from you? Why?
2. What brings you refreshment and returns you to joy? Think about rest, activity, food, relationships, etc. How could you build these into a day of Sabbath?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?