Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest (Exodus 34:21)

Yesterday Timothy encouraged me to take a “real” Sabbath—to rest on the couch and watch an old movie or read a book. I call my hubby by “stress barometer,” because he always knows when my stress level reaches its peak. I resisted at first—“This week calendar is super packed and I want to write my blogs ahead of time.” Blogging isn’t “work” was my excuse. But it didn’t take long for me to realize he was right. How could I have anything to say if I my cup was so empty? It was the "Sabbath" after all.

God felt so serious about the Sabbath that anyone who worked on that day was put to death (Ex. 31:15). Experts today tell us that stress and overwork contribute to a leading cause of heart disease, cancer, and ultimately early death. Maybe God was trying to warn us of the effects of not resting with this strict commandment.

Many years ago I read about a medical technique used for healing a damaged heart. A surgeon attaches a special pump to the candidate’s heart allowing blood to flow through it and throughout the body. The ill heart rests for at least twenty-four hours while the mechanical pump does all the work. Amazingly the heart can become healthy, and even normal, during this period. Just a few short hours of rest can strengthen a weak, failing heart. God desires for our emotional and spiritual hearts to be at rest. Refusing to take a Sabbath rest can damage or even stop our spiritual hearts from beating.

We all have our own periods of “plowing season,” or life’s busiest times. Even then God expects us to stop and regroup and reenergize our bodies and minds. For some of us—like myself—this might seem impossible sometimes. We cannot let go of our work; we hang on, even if only in our thoughts. We work and work, trying to squeeze out every minute of the day. By taking a Sabbath we might realize how much more productive we could be if we turn our cares and worries and labor over to God for his guidance and blessing.

A person with a damaged heart may be destined to a life of misery, pain, and even death. But a spiritual heart that rests in the presence of God receives healing. Yesterday I rested and energized my body and my heart. Today I feel energized and ready to remain in his Rest, even in the midst of my labor.