Lesson 22-English.

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22 – A Special Day for Rejuvenation

Are you tired? Did you work hard all week standing in the factory or the field? Did
you spend long hours bent over a computer, working with numbers in your office?
Have you been studying in school until your eyes burn and your head aches, faced with
a difficult test in your worst subject? Perhaps you’re ready for a rest.
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“I can’t rest,” someone says. “I’ve got too much to do.” Does that make sense? The
office worker is so tired she makes a mistake in her bookkeeping that takes her hours
to correct. The student who studied all night is too exhausted to concentrate on his
test. Now he must work harder the rest of the term. Rest would have saved hours.
Rest brings new energy to produce efficiency and quality. 3

Even a carpenter’s saw needs a rest. The carpenter knows he can cut with a dull saw,
pushing and sweating for hours, or he can give the saw a rest, sharpen it, and quickly
cut through the wood.
Are you tired? Do you feel like a dull saw? How can you be sharpened to be effective
in work or study? 4

A Plan for Rejuvenation

The ancient scriptures, called the Bible, have a perfect plan for rest and rejuvenation
that has helped millions gain physical strength and mental clarity. It’s called “the
Sabbath.”
5

Sabbath literally means “rest,” and the scriptures describe it

as one full day each week

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that’s completely free from work.

People who enjoy the Sabbath, take that day to reconnect with their family members,
spending time doing something special together. They may visit a lonely relative or
take some fruit to someone in the hospital.

They might go for a walk in nature and learn some of the wisdom that can be gained
from observing the trees, birds, and many other things. Often they get together with
friends to read the Bible, worship God, and talk about how to make this world a better
place.
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Sometimes they just sleep! Whatever they do, they feel great because they put aside
all work, studies, and worries once a week, every week, for twenty-four hours.
Doesn’t this sound like an excellent plan to revive your strength before you begin
another week of work?
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Research has been done on those who keep the Sabbath. People who rest once a week
are usually better workers and have better health. Scientists say such people often live
longer and are more mentally alert. Our bodies do best when we follow this ancient
plan because, “God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”
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Sabbath Helps our Families

In today’s modern society many families are having serious problems. Some husbands
are not faithful to their wives. Divorce tears up the home and hurts the children.
Parents are often too busy to spend time with their children. Children rush from school
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to extracurricular activities. Even grandparents may be neglected.

Beyond work and school, the enormous amount of new, attention-grabbing

entertainment steals the few minutes people have left. Many families seldom talk
together about meaningful things. The negatives qualities in many movies and video
games attack family morals and actually decrease our peace and harmony in the home.
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But the Sabbath can help families incredibly. Suppose the father wrote on his 15

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schedule, “Sabbath—Family Day.” He regards this appointment as important as one
with a business associate. The mother sets aside her responsibilities. The children take
a break from school and their own recreation. They spend time as a family actually
talking about the things that matter most and just enjoying each other’s company.

Will a Sabbath provide enough benefits to make taking a whole day off worthwhile?
Children need food and clothing. They need a roof over their heads and a good
education. Many parents provide all these things, but there is still something missing.
Each child needs to be loved, to know that his or her parents really care. They will feel
this if the parents take time for them. A weekly Sabbath can help this happen. It can 16
help families stay together happily.

This is because, “God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”

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A Step Forward
A mother of two boys is married to an alcoholic. Her husband is often angry and
frequently has made foolish financial decisions that have made it difficult for all of
them. The mother is a Christian and recently she said there is one thing that helps
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bring some peace to her home.

Each week she keeps the Sabbath. She takes the boys bicycling or on hikes in the hills.
They read together and attend children’s programs at a church. The boys know they
can count on their mother’s time and attention every Sabbath.

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How has this affected the alcoholic father? The mother says that he is more peaceful
on Sabbath than on any other day. The family always invites him to join them and
about half of the time he does. She trusts that in time her husband will experience
complete peace when he surrenders to God’s salvation.
Would you like to experience a greater closeness with your children? Husbands and 20
wives, would you like to feel the devotion and faithfulness from your partner that
setting aside one day together can bring? Children, would you be willing to spend time
with your parents until you really know each other and enjoy each other? Try it this
week and see what happens.

Maybe you already have a day off, but you usually fill it with work at home or with 21

catching up on errands. A day off can sometimes be more tiring than work or school!
Make an experiment this Saturday by doing something really refreshing, clearing your

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mind of all cares and giving your body time to recuperate.

See if it’s true that “God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”

The Origin of the Sabbath

Where did the Sabbath come from? Have you ever wondered why we have seven days 22
in one week instead of 8 or 10? Other time cycles are clearly from nature.

Why do we have a year?

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We get this from the cycle of the earth around the sun.

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Why do we have a month?

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We get this from the cycle of the moon.

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Why do we have a day?

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We get this from the cycle of the earth.

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But why do we have a week? Can you find a reason in nature? There is no easily seen
reason in nature, but there is a clear explanation given in the Bible.

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It says that the God who created our world made the weekly cycle. As we examine the
things around us it seems very clear that any intricate thing must have a designer.

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Companies diligently work to create new kinds of video cameras, yet they are not as
capable or as flexible as the human eye.

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Engineers have made impressive computers, yet nothing matches the human brain and
its connections to each body part. It seems clear that what the Bible says is true: An
extremely intelligent and powerful Creator God must have made the world in all of its
complexity.
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Though sin now has led to suffering and instability in our world, we can still see
evidence of God’s great original design. The beauty of a rose and the songs of the birds
in the morning thrill our hearts. We can sense that this Creator God is not only
powerful, but very compassionate to have given us such precious gifts. But how does
this relate to the Sabbath rest and the seven-day week? The very first page of the Bible 33
describes the creation of the world. It says that God made the world in six days. Then
it says,

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done and He rested on the
seventh day from all His work which He had done.

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Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,

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because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis
2:2-3). The Bible says this is why we have seven days in a week.

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Blessing for all Nations

What other evidence is there to show that the seven-day week comes from Creation?
The Bible says that God created the first humans, named Adam and Eve. The very
next day, He gave the Sabbath as a gift to them. According to the story, God intended
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that they and all their children, grandchildren, and descendents would enjoy the health
and family blessings that come from keeping the Sabbath.
If God made a seven-day week, then this would have been passed down from
generation to generation and we would find it in many languages and cultures around
the world. Let’s examine some of the world’s languages to see what we find.

There are two main ways of naming the days of the week. Many languages refer to
them by the names of stars and moons such as “Sunday” and “Monday” (moon-day).
The seventh day is called “Saturday” or the day of the planet Saturn. Consistently,
these languages use a cycle of seven days.
The second way that many languages refer to the days of the week is by numbering 38
them such as “First Day,” “Second Day,” etc. Quite a few languages specifically call
Saturday the “seventh” or “rest” or actually sound like the Bible’s ancient word for rest
which is “Sabbath.”

Here are a few of the languages that number the days or call the seventh day the rest
day: Vietnamese in Southeast Asia, Hebrew in Israel, Arabic in the Middle East,
ancient Babylonian which is now present day Iraq, Ethiopic and Swahili in Africa,
Coptic in Egypt, Afghan in Afghanistan, some languages in Russia, and French,
German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish in Europe. 39

The Hindi language of India and the ancient Pali language also give evidence that God
created the world because they call the week “seven” or “seven days.” Ancient Chinese
called the days the “seven regulators.”

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Many years have passed since Adam and Eve spent their first Sabbath resting and
worshipping God. Many nations and languages have come into existence. Some have
remembered the God who created them and some have forgotten. But isn’t it amazing
that the main languages of the world give evidence that God created the world in six
days and rested on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. 41

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Millions of people follow the calendar, their lives regulated by the week. Do they
realize the debt of gratitude they owe to their Creator for the gift of life? Do they take
any time to honor Him? It is so important that we stop and rest on the seventh day and
thank Him for what He has done.

A Day to Give Honor

Certain countries set aside one special day on which to honor the fathers and another
day for mothers. In Thailand these two days land on the King’s and Queen’s birthdays.
Everyone knows they should honor the royalty and their parents every day of the year,
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but because people are busy with many things, a special day is a helpful reminder.
Why do we honor our parents? We know we owe them a huge debt. Without them we
would not exist. We appreciate our aunts and uncles, our brothers and sisters, but it is
to our parents that we give special honor. They gave us life!

The Sabbath is a day with a similar purpose. The Bible tells us that God lovingly
formed the very first humans from the earth and breathed life into them. In a real way,
as our Creator, God is our parent. Should we not give Him the same honor and love
we give our parents? Should we not give Him even more respect since He is the parent
of all parents? 43

What does God ask us to do each Sabbath to show Him respect and honor? In the Ten
Commandments it says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you
shall labor and do all your work,

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but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work…

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for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day.

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Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11). He
asks us to stop our work for twenty-four hours, not only for our enjoyment, but to show
Him honor as our Creator.

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Why is it so important that we honor Him by resting? It helps us escape the trap of
selfishness and pride. Today people are often proud of their accomplishments and
possessions. They point to their hard work and their superior wisdom as the reason
they have achieved so much. Many times they forget the years of dedication and the
large sums of money that their parents and others gave to help them become what they 48
are.

Stopping our work once a week on Saturday reminds us that life does not come from
the work of our own hands. It is a gift from God. We are so often fooled into thinking
that all we eat and have is the result of what we have done. It is not true. Without
God’s power and His creation of the world, we would have nothing. By resting on
Saturday, we set our minds on the God who alone has power to keep us alive. He is 49
also the only One who can help us when at the end of our lives we can work no longer
and are facing death.

When parents stop their work once a week they teach their children that there is
something more important in life than making money and buying things. If they take
time on that day to teach their children about God and the things that last for eternity,
their children will have a wonderful chance to learn what matters most in life.
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A Step Forward

In the Bible it shows us that the followers of Jesus weekly took time to worship the
Creator, singing praises to Him and praying. They also listened to preaching on the
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Sabbath. The Bible says, “The Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to
them the next Sabbath. …

and the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of
God.” (Acts 13:42b, 44)

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Sabbath can be a great time to meet with other Christians to grow closer to God.

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So let’s decide to honor God with our time. Isn’t that what most parents want? They 54

do not need a big special gift once a year. They do not need a fancy house to retire in.
They want our time, our friendship, and our love. The Creator God deserves the same.

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He asks you to put aside all other things once a week and devote yourself to
remembering that your life and everything you have comes from Him. Why not try it
this week.

Gather together with others and praise the God of life! With many others you can
experience the truth, “God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”

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Rediscover the Forgotten Commandment

The Sabbath is such an important gift from God that He placed it among the famous
Ten Commandments. People often know about some of the other commandments such
as “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal” and
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“You shall not covet.” God gave each of these commandments because He wants our
lives to be blessed. Those who follow His counsel find true peace and lasting joy.

God placed the Sabbath commandment in this same important group of Ten
Commandments, but many people have forgotten it. Around the world, it is the most
neglected of the ten. Many people forget that it is the Creator God who has given them
life and surrounded them with sunshine, air, water, and food.
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Listen to the important words again: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six
days you shall labor and do all your work,

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but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work,…

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For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day.

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Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

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Here we can see that the Father of Life cares so much about our health and family life,
that He calls all family members to participate in the Sabbath. The God of mercy also
emphasized that laborers and servants should have the day off. They should not have
to work every day while the rich have their holidays. The Father cares for each of His
children equally and wants all to have rest and to know Him better. He even 62
commanded that the animals be allowed a day of rest.

When the communists took over Czechoslovakia a pastor named Milton Schustek
began to pray that He could stay faithful in his worship of the living Creator God. He
knew the Communists didn’t want anyone to worship God and were sending all the
pastors away to work in the labor camps. Pastor Milton prayed, “Lord, You have
given me life and I want to honor You by keeping Your commandments and 63
worshipping You every Sabbath. Help me to find a way to stay close to my church
family too.”

Milton got an appointment to speak to the Communist officials. “My father and
grandfather worked in the coal mines and I’m willing to go and work hard there too”
he said. “But I know there’s another job in this city that no one likes to do. No one
wants to climb under the city streets to clean out the sewers. I’m willing to do it.”
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The Communists agreed. For the next few years Milton had a very terrible job.
However, he said, “Every day was worth it because I was close enough to home to
worship God my congregation each Sabbath.”
Why did Pastor Milton think the Sabbath was worth cleaning sewers for? He knew
God’s promise regarding those who keep it, 65

“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy
day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,

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and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor
speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;

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67

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and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth” (Isaiah 58:13-14a).

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You may wonder if a twenty-four hour rest each Saturday will really bless your life.
Take the risk and see what happens. God is faithful to do what He promises.
An Important Reminder
Let’s make sure that we understand clearly that keeping the Sabbath is not an attempt 69
to do good deeds to get into heaven. Clearly we have seen that we don’t have enough
good deeds to go there. Many people keep holy days trying to make merit. The holy
day of the Sabbath is a different kind of holy day. It is a day in which to remember
what God has already done for us. To keep it is to express thanks and gratitude, not to
try and win His favor.

A Blessing of Peace
Do you ever worry? Do you wonder if you will have a job next year? Do you worry
that someone will cheat you and steal your money? Are you afraid you won’t have
enough to give your children a quality education? These are real concerns that many
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people face. When Jesus taught in Israel, many years ago, He understood the worries
and stress people carried. He gave them a special message to bring peace to their
hearts.

He said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink;

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nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing?

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Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in to barns; yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

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Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry
about clothing?

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Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow…Now if God so clothes the grass of the
field,

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which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe
you, o you of little faith?

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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness

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and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-28, 30, 33).

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Aren’t those helpful words? Worrying is a waste of time and energy because it doesn’t
help, it just hinders clear thinking. What lessons can you learn by looking at the birds?
The birds are singing even before the sun comes up. They fly gracefully, gathering
their food joyfully. The brilliant pink water lilies blow peacefully in the wind. Birds
and flowers find everything they need right around them. 79

Jesus wanted people to meditate on these things so that their worries would fade away.
He pointed people to a God who is like a parent that deeply cares for His children and
provides for them. He taught them that this God is nearby, full of compassion, ready to
listen and help.
Would you like to find greater peace in the midst of your worries? The Bible says that 80
after God created the world, He set aside the Sabbath day to be holy and full of
blessings. He wanted all people to stop their work and find peace through knowing

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that He gave them life and is powerful enough to take care of their problems.

Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27).
Many people around the world now follow God’s plan for rest by stopping their work
for twenty-four hours from sundown on Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening.
This plan, based on the Bible, helps them to know when to start the Sabbath no matter
what time of year it is or what country they are in. 81

Some families come together on Friday evenings before the sun sets, to pray to God
and lay aside their worries and cares. They may then enjoy a nice supper together,
talking about God’s goodness through the week. It is God’s plan to have our lives free
of worry and full of peace. If God can create the whole world, surely He has the
wisdom and strength to solve the problems we are facing. God wants us to bring our 82
difficulties to Him and ask Him to help solve them.

The Noodle Lady’s Faith

One day a widow was walking along selling Chinese noodles. She had six children at
home and so she needed to sell a lot. However she was tired and so when she heard
some beautiful singing she stopped to rest near a church. She heard them preach about
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a Creator God who loved her and could take care of her. She decided to pray to God
and see if He would help and protect her.

One night in a terrible storm she heard a large rotten tree creaking next to her house.
She pleaded with God to keep her safe. The tree came crashing down and just
narrowly missed her house. She praised God for His power.

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Later she learned the Creator God had commanded people to rest on Saturday, the
seventh-day. She wanted to obey and honor Him, but didn’t see how she could. If she
didn’t sell her noodles there would be no food for her children. Then she thought
again, “If God can protect me, if God can create the world, He can supply my food
too.” 85

On Friday she decided to ask God to bless her selling so she could stop on Saturday.
But she didn’t sell anything all day. At around four o’clock she was really struggling
wondering how she could possibly go two days without money and food for her
children. Finally she prayed, “God I am willing to obey You, even if we have to go
hungry.” 86

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Shortly after she made that decision, a man came up and bought some noodles. “These
are the best I’ve eaten in a long time,” he said.

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Soon others came until she sold all she had. From then on she knew she could trust
God to take care of her. Sometimes it was easy and sometimes it was hard. She would
always remind herself that Jesus said,

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“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you.

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Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

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Whether we’re poor or rich, we too can trust God to take care of us. It is a peace
beyond anything the world can give. Do you have any worries or stresses? Why not
use God’s gift of the Sabbath this week? Stop your work for twenty-four hours. Go to
a place where you can see some beauty in nature. Look at the flowers, enjoy the birds,
and think about the Bible’s promises of blessings. Place your worries in God’s hands 91
for Him to solve. Ask Him to give you peace and wisdom.

Then you will be able to fully enjoy the truth, “God made the Sabbath to bless our
entire lives.”

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You can be sure that there will be many things to distract you from resting on Sabbath.
We should not forget that God has an enemy. Satan and the evil spirits have been
working against the Creator God ever since the first conflict in heaven. Satan does not
want people to worship God. He is the destroyer who works to break up marriages and
alienate children from their parents. The enemy works to destroy culture and morals 93
through a wide array of entertainment. He also uses busyness to keep people from

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spending time with God.

So be determined to receive God’s blessing. Take a full day of rest. Do it enough

weeks in a row to see the benefits.

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Meditation Moment
Reflect carefully on the truths below:

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“God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”

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Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all his
work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:3).

97

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no
work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female
servant,…
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…your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh
day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

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“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you.
Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. (John 14:27)
Think also about how the Sabbath could improve your life.

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The Choice regarding the Sabbath is up to you

If you won a free trip to another country, wouldn’t you be excited to go? Think of the joy
if you were given enough tickets for the whole family. God has given you a very special
gift. He has promised you rejuvenation, physical rest, reconnection as a family, freedom
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from pride, and a closer relationship with Himself. The Sabbath is His gift to help bring
those blessings to you. You can make some choices now to show your gratitude and honor
the Father of Life.

If this statement is true of your choice today, check it:

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____ I will set aside my work, studies, and errands this Saturday.

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____ I will put away my own entertainment and spend special time reconnecting with
my family.

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____ I will join some others in worshipping the Creator God this Saturday.

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____ I will visit a neighbor who is lonely, or go to the hospital to cheer someone up.

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____ I will spend some quiet time in nature reflecting.

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Prayer Power
You can give honor to your Creator now in prayer:

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“Father of Life, Creator of all good things, thank You for everything You have given to
me. I am so thankful for life. Please help me to experience all the blessings You want
to give me.

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I choose to honor You by stopping my work and keeping Your Sabbath. I trust You to
take care of my life and my family.

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I ask for courage and a deeper faith so that I may keep Your commandments and walk
closely with You. In Jesus name, Amen.”

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When you get tired this week, just remember that Sabbath is coming soon! You can be
excited because “God made the Sabbath to bless our entire lives.”

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