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January 6 Daily Devotional

God’s Pattern for our Work

Peter G. Feenstra

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:9)

Bible Reading

Exodus 31:12–18

Devotional

Most people in society divide their waking hours into two basic categories: work and leisure. They spend the week doing what they have to do and doing what they want to do. That pattern has radically altered the place of the Lord’s Day. Sunday is no longer a day of worship and fellowship; it has become the last day of the weekend. This mentality promotes a very selfish idea of leisure and work which is at odds with the fourth commandment. If we allow the Lord’s Day to be swallowed up by the weekend, we let our modern patterns replace what God has given to us for our good. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the levels of stress and mental fatigue are at an all-time high.

An aspect of the fourth commandment that is frequently overlooked is God’s instruction for work. God-honouring labour is impossible without rest. That’s why the Lord ordained a rhythm of work and rest based on the seven days of creation (Ex. 31:17). He never intended us to be working 24/7.

In the New Testament the first day of the week, not the last, is set aside as a day of rest. Prior to any manual labour taking place we are to let the Lord work in us through His Holy Spirit. God gives us weekly reminders of how we are to view our work. He wants us to come home from Sunday worship revitalized and ready to get back to our daily task He gives us to do. Our daily routines and activities need to flow forth from the rest Christ obtained for us. The Lord wants us to enjoy our work and to see it within the perspective of His work and rest. Proverbs 28:19 provides us with this nugget of wisdom: “He who tills the land will have plenty of food but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”

The Lord created the Sabbath to be a very special day. He did not give it to His people as a day for doing those things we didn’t get around to during the other days of the week. The Lord’s Day, as the New Testament Sabbath, is a day devoted to and reserved for learning God’s covenant ways. He has given us the Sabbath, not to restrict us, but to allow us to live each day in the glorious liberty of the children of God. Let us make good use of what the Lord has given to us for our benefit.

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