Scripture:

“The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.” Leviticus 25:1-7 (NIV)

Perspective:

God established specific guidelines for the Israelites as they were headed into the Promised Land. He presented these guidelines to Moses, and Moses communicated them to the people. One of those guidelines pertained to their planting. The people would need to work the land for six years to have food. This protocol would have been different for the people who had grown accustomed to God providing water and food in the desert. They would have to plant in order to reap. Yet, in all of their expenditure of energy, the seventh year would be dependent on what the land had already produced. They were not to plant seeds as they had before. God would provide for them in that seventh year based on what had previously been cultivated.

If you talk with a farmer, they will tell you that overuse of land depletes it of vital nutrients. Crop rotation and grazing schedules help to manage this process. Yet, even with good planning, the land will need periodic seasons of rest in order to produce. Although times have changed, the principle of planting and reaping remain true in our own lives. We need periodic seasons of rest in order to produce. We don’t have to take a year off every seven years, but a day off each week is a good place to start. It’s important to remember that we aren’t machines. We will become completely depleted without proper rest. God wants to see you thrive, but He knows that rest is a key ingredient to being all that He created you to be. So, sow your seeds into the ground so when you take a day of rest you can continue to reap the blessings of your labor.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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About Hona Amer

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