It’s Sunday. What are you going to do today? How will you spend your time?
Some of us will worship God by gathering with God’s people. Why make time for worship? Well, let’s start at the beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). At the beginning of time, says the Bible, God called the creation into being in six days, then rested on the seventh. Then God invited us to follow that pattern (see Exodus 20:11): work for six days; rest and worship every seventh day. Scientific studies and social surveys show that people who follow God’s pattern for life are happier and healthier because of it. Use your time today as God recommends: rest and worship.
In the Old Testament, people worshiped on Saturday, but now most Christians worship on Sunday because that’s the day Jesus rose from the dead (see Mark 16:2; Acts 20:7). Sunday is also the day God sent the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). It was God’s way of saying, “Rest, get refreshed; then go and work six days.” So worship and rest. Use both to get ready for this week.
Those who worship and rest on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, experience the blessing of the closing verse of Psalm 90: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us … establish the work of our hands.” I pray God’s blessing on your week!
Kind Father, thank you for worship and rest today. Give us strength and wisdom for a week of work, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Jack Gray
Jack Gray recently retired after forty years as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. During that time he served seven churches from coast to coast in the United States. He and his wife, Wanda, have four sons and three grandchildren. They also have ministered to 44 foster children. This month’s devotions are inspired by his reflections on time at this transition in his life.
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