READ: Genesis 2.2-3 NLT
'On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.'
The French Revolution turned everything upside down including the arrangement of time. They adopted decimalization in a thoroughgoing way dividing up each day into ten hours, and each week into ten days. But it didn’t catch on. After only a few years they returned to the seven- day week which we find in Genesis.
Rhythm is deeply important in life and the importance of taking regular rest is crucial. People have often told me that they are much too busy to take rest or to go on holiday. But the fact is that the rhythm which God set in creation is of foundational importance. We cannot disobey the fundamental rule of nature that we need time to recharge our batteries and to renew our commitment to God.
The Old Testament law gave a great deal of attention to the importance of the Sabbath. It was a holy day, a day set apart for God, and was not to be trifled with. People who worked on the Sabbath were to be put to death (Exodus 31.15). This all sounds very extreme to our ears, but it emphasizes the crucially important nature of the day in God’s eyes. It is a fundamental rule of creation that if God needed a rest day each week then so do we.
The last few years have seen Sunday become far less distinctive. When I was a boy, the majority of people who we passed on the way to our church were people going to church. Now the roads are filled with people heading off for shopping, sport and a huge variety of leisure activities. But nothing has changed. We still need space to be refreshed and renewed and an opportunity to refocus our lives on God.




QUESTION: How are you going to ensure that Sunday is set apart for God in the rhythm of your life?
PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a day of rest. Help me to treasure the day and to use it as a time to refresh my life and my relationships and to get closer to you. Amen.

Released on 6 Jan 2021