Friday, August 19 – Exodus 23:12

“For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as the stranger residing with you, may refresh themselves.”

There are many rhythms in life that help set us back into a routine. These include school, sports, work, and church activities. In each of these, there is an opportunity to set the tone with rhythms in your family and in your life. When God gave His instruction for rest, He included all the people—the young and the old, those who were far from God, and those who called on His name—and even the animals. This refreshing affected the entire household. Whether you live with your spouse, children, roommates, or by yourself, you need regular patterns of holy rest. Is the rest we engage in true refreshment from God or is it a quick breather till we are onto the next thing? Alongside all the things we have committed to, have we built in time to rest by ourselves and with those around us? Is there a point that we pause together as a family or with the body of Christ? Is rest a priority in your life and is that evident to those God has surrounded you with?

Take the opportunity God has given you to enter this fall with a refreshed focus on Him and a priority to rest well, even as new routines begin. Ask God to open your eyes to identify those restful rhythms look like for you and those around you, seeking to find true rest that only He can provide.

• What are some restful activities you have experienced with the people God has put around you?
• Do the people around you know rest is a priority in your life? What needs to change for that to be evident in your life?
• Pray and ask God that you would reflect Him in the way you rest and that you would encourage others to rest in Him also.