Sabbath rest

Mercy: A refraining from the infliction of suffering by one who has the right and power to inflict it.

Have you ever thought of the Sabbath (which we typically think of as Sunday) as a showing of God's mercy and grace?

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:17b-19

Basically, we were cursed, because of our choice to turn away from God and choose sin, to work really really hard. For everything.

The Sabbath is God's demonstration of grace to us. That even amidst this curse that He proclaimed on us, He is merciful and gives us one day out of every seven to REST! It's a gift! It's not just that day that you should avoid shopping, the day that you should not clean your house, the day that you should focus on things spiritual, the day that you should leave the labors of your yard, the day you're only allowed to walk so far. It is the day that SHOULD be received with gladness, joy, and maybe even a sense of unworthiness. God is gracious. We deserved the curse. But one day out of seven, He reveals His grace in this special observance called the Sabbath.

I just never looked at it that way before!

Receive His grace.