SOAP: He commands us to rest

Today’s scripture actually comes from Saturday’s reading. It has been speaking to me since Saturday, so I feel compelled to share.

Scripture: Luke 23:56

Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Observation: These women were in the process of preparing Jesus’ body for proper burial and they stopped in order to observe the Sabbath by resting.

Application: Here the ladies had a pretty big job ahead of them, which probably seemed very important:  They were to care for Jesus’ body according to the custom. Except the Sabbath came in the middle of the process.

Instead of thinking that God would understand that they needed to finish such an important job, they simply stopped and honored his commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

They stopped doing the job with the intention of picking it up Monday.

And were they more behind on Monday? No!

Instead some were so rewarded that they were to first to see the risen Lord.

Woah! Perhaps we could all take note.

Lately I have been praying a LOT, asking God to show me how to order my priorities and to-do lists. I’ve been asking Him to show me what to drop and asking Him to give me the discipline and energy to get the rest done in joy. And then this verse hit me Saturday morning.

I think He is telling me that I need to observe the Sabbath. I need to stop working on Sunday and not use that day to ‘get ahead,’ but to recharge.

Yesterday afternoon I was baking and my husband came to me and said “Once you put that in the oven why don’t you come lie down with me?”

I thought he was crazy… I had too much to do. But then I thought I should honor his request: He is important, too.

When I got to the bedroom he had put a lighthearted movie in the DVD player and invited me to watch with him.

And then this verse hit me.

My husband had no idea of my reading or of my prayers of late. He just wanted to relax with me.

Hmmm. Was God using my husband to remind me to relax?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are ultimate accomplisher! You created this whole earth and all that is in it and you took the time to rest.

Thank you for this reminder that you designed me for rest, too.

Please continue to guide me to get my work done on 6 days and rest on the 7^th. Show me how to organize my tasks so that I can honor you and live as you intended. Guide me to rest in faith and not question, just like those ladies did when faced with a seemingly important task.

Thank you so much, Lord, for caring for all of us so much that you don’t want us to work like crazy… you want us to pause, think of you and recharge.

Help me to put this into practice as you intend and honor you.

PS: If you are joining me as a Praying Wife and praying daily for your husband, today we are praying for our husband’s protection.