Exodus 16:29

They must realise that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.

It was vital that the weekly rhythm of life was maintained in the desert. On the face of it, this was going to be difficult to achieve with God’s miraculous provision of daily food in the morning and evening. But God knew this and so he provided the people with twice the normal supplies of food on a Friday in order to allow the Sabbath to be a day of rest. True to form, some of the people went out on the Sabbath to look for food only to find there was nothing there. The principle of a day of rest was foundational to their life together.

A day of rest continues to be of crucial importance to us today. Sundays have become progressively busier in recent years. The days when most of the people travelling on a Sunday were going to church have long gone. Shopping centres are heaving with customers; sports events are busy; car boot sales attract great swarms of people; and those who stay at home are busy too. But amid this constant activity we need to take time to stop, reflect and worship. When I was a child, my parents had very strict rules about Sundays. We were not allowed to play with balls, watch television, do homework or go to shops or cinema. I suspect that most people would question those rules (including me!) but I thank God that, from my earliest days, Sunday was set apart as something special. It couldn’t be confused with the other days of the week. It was a day for us to focus our attention on God.

The lives of the people of Israel trudging through the desert could hardly be more different from our lives today, but I believe that the principle of the Sabbath still holds good and that we should work hard at keeping Sunday special.

Question

In what ways do you seek to keep your Sundays special?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank you for the gift of the Sabbath. Help me to use my Sundays wisely so that I can become stronger in serving you. Amen