#4151 – Even When Busy

Good morning people who honour the Sabbath rest

I just read a verse that I literally said “Wow!” to. Here it is.

Exodus 34:21 Six days you shall labour, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the ploughing season and harvest you must rest.

We so often make so many excuses why we do not do the things God has commanded us to do. We have so many busy seasons in life that seem to come around frequently and last for long periods of time; seasons where we do not rest as we should.

This verse highlights what I am saying very clearly.

This verse says we are to rest…even in the ploughing and harvest times. In fact, the verse finishes by saying in these seasons we must rest. Think about this in your life. How many times do we make the excuse “It’s just a busy period”? How many times do we forsake the principle of rest because this is a season of setting something up or establishing my business? How many times do we forsake the principle of rest because this is a season that simply demands our time and after-all, it’s for the Kingdom?

Now I do NOT want to get legalistic here or appear judgmental. I have had many busy seasons in life and I’m sure I’ll have plenty more. But I wonder if I have sometimes done the wring thing in these seasons?

All of Scripture is inspired and is profitable. The Holy Spirit could have instructed the writer to mention the importance of the Sabbath rest principle and left it at that. But it’s like He knew that our natural inclination is to make exceptions and make them often. I don’t think it was by accident that God in affect is saying, “Don’t make excuses for ignoring this principle that I am establishing”.

I encourage all of us to stop and consider these words in our situation…at work, at Church, in our organisation…we should be resting even during ploughing and harvest seasons.