“There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.”

Leviticus 23:3

Today was my sister-in-law’s baby shower, a culmination of preparation of creative ideas to celebrate this new addition to our family. I scheduled it for a Sunday afternoon, and everyone was going to be able to make it. But as the day drew closer, the anxiety over the details began to weigh heavy upon me. Having coordinated all that I could, still left me fretting over the final details of the day. Although I was feeling pressure because I knew there were things that needed to be done, I decided to go to Sunday school anyway.

But in that brief hour at church, I saw something new, something convicting and something applicable for the day. Our lesson was calling for rest on the Sabbath. But it also called for a sacred assembling – a gathering of fellow believers to worship the Lord! It was my exact situation, balancing the demands of the day with the command to rest and worship the Lord. Setting aside of time once a week was called to be done first, at the very beginning of our week, not at the end. It was likened to our tithes, where the Lord calls to us to give the first ten percent of our income to Him, trusting Him to take care of the rest.

I realized when He calls us to give Him the first part of our week, He is asking us to trust Him with the rest! To be aware that He is all knowing and knows our days before we do. The Lord knew my anxious heart, my worry and need to control the situation! But yet, He called me to take time, set it aside, to be spent on Him and let Him handle the rest of my day, my week, my month, my year! Our offerings whether they be money, time or talent should be offered first, from the best we have to offer and without concern about tomorrow. God holds all of our days. The Lord has plans for all our days and He also knows what we need before we often realize it! The Lord knew I needed to be reminded that no matter what happens after our worship in service, He is there ahead of me. If I submit my plans and give Him my first, my best, I truly do not have to worry about the rest.

I left church with others texting me about final details. Having spent time with the Lord, left me feeling confident about the success of the shower and that everything would come together beautifully. I had to thank the Lord that our opportunity to bless her was a success! Being reminded that setting time aside for the Lord, restores us and brings peace to the anxieties of this life! We can spend our time swamped under the tasks of the day and miss the opportunity where the Lord commanded us to rest, worship and to trust Him with the rest. Or we can be obedient and enjoy the blessings of rest and worship He freely offers us every week.