We live in a society that moves at a frantic pace. We seek to get as much as we can, as quickly as we can. We use every minute of every day, feeling like we can’t afford to slow down and take a break. We fear falling behind others…or maybe others getting ahead of us.
But in Leviticus chapter 25, God gives two mandates: the year of sabbath and the year of Jubilee.
  • The year of sabbath required that every seventh year, God’s people were to let the land rest. They were not to plant crops, till the soil, or harvest anything from the land.
  • The year of Jubilee required that every 50th year, anyone who had been forced into slavery due to economic hardship was released, and any property that had been forced into sale because of economic hardship was returned to the original owner.
The year of sabbath speaks of rest and the year of Jubilee speaks of freedom. Rest and freedom are critical to understanding God’s nature, because they are at the core of who He is and what He does.
God desires to lead us into rest and freedom in Christ. Jesus is the source of our rest (Matthew 11:28) and the catalyst for our freedom. (Luke 4:18) Our lives should be characterized by rest and freedom, so that a fatigued and frantic world may see Him and be drawn to Him.
So why do rest and freedom so often eludes us? The reason is that we misplace our reliance. Rest and freedom come from reliance on God…not on ourselves!
Is your life characterized by rest and freedom, or are you as frazzled and frayed as the rest of the world? On whom are you relying…really?

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.