Carrie Hildebrand writes:
SUMMER VACATION IS OFFICIALLY HERE! What are you doing this summer? Have you made any special plans or are you just excited not to be in school anymore? Have you been to the pool yet? I AM SOOOOOOOOOO GLAD SUMMER IS HERE!
Another word for vacation is rest. Taking a rest from the serious business of life, which, if you are a "Young Heart," is most likely school. Everybody needs a rest sometimes. Did you know that God thinks it is so important that we rest, that He made it one of the Big 10 - to keep the Sabbath? (He also instituted lots of festivals and feasts, but that's another story.) The pagan cultures around the Israelites worked 7 days without a break, but God wanted His people to stop, rest, and celebrate His presence in their lives.
I thnk that last phrase is the crucial one for the meaning of Sabbath rest. That's what gave the rest meaning and helped them energize for the next week. Have a great meal, enjoy good company and together remember God's faithfulness in the past week as they looked ahead to the next.
Often in our culture today, relaxing is checking out some movies and disengaging from life as we know it. It often feels good to escape. We like to be amused. "Muse" comes from a word meaning "to think" and "a" is a prefix meaning without. So without thinking. Unplug. Right?
But what God really wants for us in rest is that we plug in. To Him! Enjoy on purpose a blessing that He has given you, like a strawberry ice cream cone, and thank Him for it. See all around you the friends He has blessed you with. Spend time laughing with them and thank Him for it. Feel the sunshine on your back as you swim or lay out and thank Him for it. Take a great nap, stand up and stretch and thank Him for it! I Timothy 6:17 tells us that God "richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." (NASB) Did you catch that? He wants you to enjoy your summer rest. He has supplied you with many rich and wonderful blessings. Some are big, some are little. Savor them all this summer and THANK HIM FOR IT!
Plug in and enjoy.
Love this, Carrie. Maybe because summer is my favorite time of year and Sunday is my favorite day of the week! I liked your comments about celebrating God's presence in our lives and remembering his faithfulness--things we should really do everyday. But, setting aside that time on the Sabbath is important to God. And getting together with our brothers and sisters in Christ somehow helps us refuel for the next week, too. Good stuff--thank you!
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