In a 24/7 world where the lights are always on, scientists are still trying to understand why we need sleep. They have a variety of theories, among them: It appears to increase brain plasticity; it allows the body to restore itself; and it conserves energy. For years, people have been seeking ways to bypass the need for sleep. After all, from an evolutionary worldview, it seems like a waste of time.
But from a biblical worldview, we find a very different picture.
The Genesis account of the creation says the day begins with the evening part of the day, followed by the morning part (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13). In other words, in God’s plan, the resting part of the day comes before the creative part. The Sabbath is the culmination of that rest; it concludes the week and prepares us for the new one. The Sabbath is an evening and morning filled with holy time—a time to be refreshed in God's grace.
Jesus reaffirms the principle of rest before work in Matthew 11:28–30 where He invited disciples and seekers to come to Him for rest. Rest from wearisome work and, more important, rest for our sin-sick souls. He promised to walk beside us, to take away our sins, and to carry our burdens with us.
This is where the gift of the Sabbath is so amazing. God promises that when we choose to turn to Him and trust Him with our plans and our lives, we will find the “Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable” (Isaiah 58:13). And the psalmist reiterates, “Unless Your law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction” (Psalm 119:92).
When we look at our busy, non-stop daily lives through the Sabbath lens of rest before work, we can give ourselves the grace we need to stop, remember, and reconnect with God and our family and friends.
One beauty of the Sabbath is that it allows us to take the time to remember the amazing things God has done for us.
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