Deuteronomy 5:13-15 - Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

One day about a year ago, my son noticed I was looking frazzled. "Mom," he said, "when's the last time you took a day off?" I must have looked guilty, because he said to me, "You know you're supposed to take a Sabbath. That's what you tell me, all the time." I couldn't say a word. He was right. From then on, he's been calling me from college and asking me every week: "Did you take a Sabbath?" And I smile, and say, "Yes. Yes, I did."

God gave us the Sabbath because nobody is able to keep going and going without any rest, like the old Energizer Bunny commercials. We get tired. We get cranky. And we may even get sick. We need time to rest and relax—and time to spend with God and the people we love, too. God thought this was so important that He included everybody in His instructions—even the children, even the servants, even the farm animals.

But a regular day of rest does more than that. God says, "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there." The day of rest reminds us that we are free people and not slaves anymore. God has rescued us from the power of evil and brought us into the freedom and joy of His own kingdom.

You matter to God—you, with your burdens and your worries, your round-the-clock responsibilities and too-short nights. You matter so much that God came into this world as the Man Jesus to set you free from the power of evil at the cost of His own life. And now that Jesus has risen from the dead, He remains concerned for you. He knows the impossible situations you labor under.

Jesus did not come to point a finger at you for breaking the Commandments—even this one. He came to give you something—His own freedom and love and forgiveness, and the peace that only God can give us in the middle of trouble. And He calls you today in love, saying, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

WE PRAY: Lord, give me Your rest that I need so much. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. When do you rest—Sunday? Saturday? Some other schedule?

2. If you are having trouble getting rest, ask Jesus to help you. He cares for you.

3. If you are blessed with regular rest—is there someone heavily burdened whom you can help?

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 24-26    John 10:22-42

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