I am lying in bed on this Sabbath morning with many thoughts of what was not done yesterday and needs to be done today.  Then I tell myself this is exactly why you are so tired.  Because when rest time is available you are not resting. 

As I think about the Sabbath, I wonder how is it that people don't take advantage of the things God have given us for our benefit.  I go to my bible and read Mark 2:27, And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.  As I am reading this verse I realize how many people short themselves of all the things God has provided for us.  We know he has provided liberty, forgiveness, healing, joy, peace, righteousness, death to the old man.  All these things seem to be the weightier matters. But God started way before that, he provided rest for us first.  

We don't know how important rest is for us.  I remember working at a said company on the night shift. Every night between 2 am and 4 am we had to shut the system down and reboot it so that it can run properly.  Why is it that man will care more for his materialistic things than his own life.   It is proven that when we rest properly our bodies will heal.  God in his infinite wisdom understands what he created better than the creation.   When you go back in Genesis 2:1 & 2 we find that when God finished his work he rested.  Six days God worked to create this wonderful world in which we live and then on the seventh day he enjoyed what he did.  He rested.  When you rest your mind slows down.  You think clearer, you focus better, your senses are heightened. 

Do an experiment to prove or disprove what I'm saying. Sit still in a room and take a couple of deep breaths. Continue with controlled breathing, inhale...exhale. Close your eyes. Continue your relaxed breathing and listen.  Focus on what you hear. You should hear sounds you have not noticed before. Think about smells, you should be able to separate smells.  When we rest we reboot our minds and our minds tell our body to take notice of what is there.  When you don't rest there are many things you tend to miss.  Being optimum is what you miss out on the most.  You cannot be your best. 

Take a moment and think about what Jesus said. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.  When something is made for you, you should benefit from it.  It is not a day that should control you.  There are people who have made the Sabbath a ritual rather than a gift. God made it for our good.  He did not give us the Sabbath to add burdens to us.  Take a moment to think about it, it actually gives us a day that we can lay down all our cares, our woes, and our burdens.  

If you have heard me speak on the Sabbath, you have heard me say the 3R's of the sabbath: reflect, rest, and reset.  Reflect on the six previous days, look at your accomplishments and also on what was not accomplished.  Rest of all your labor.  Many times people don't realize how much work they do just by thinking.  Your thoughts can be exhausting. During the Sabbath think of God.  Think on how good he's been, this will bring peace and joy. The last ‘R’ is reset when you rest you get back in place again.  Have you noticed when you've rested well you gain a better perspective on life?  You make better choices when you rest. God knows what you need on the Sabbath let him tell you how to spend that day.  Don't follow the traditional way of keeping the sabbath follow God's way. 

Let's take a look at what Jesus said in Mark 2:28, therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the sabbath.  Just as Jesus is rightfully Master, the great influencer, he is rightfully Master of the Sabbath.  He will tell you what you should do on the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was meant for you to enjoy so start enjoying it. Happy Sabbath!!!