Leviticus 25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.
6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

Introductory Thoughts

For thousands of years, farmers have been implementing, through various techniques, the idea of allowing their land to rest. They understand that the land cannot continually endure the stress of producing the same crops without some time of rest for renewal. Man is no different. Similar to the ground, every time a man does something that produces fruit, he loses part of himself. He must have time to receive from the Lord what he has given to others. A man may think himself productive now because of the continual work and effort, but he cannot continue at that pace. At some point, he will cease to be fruitful unless he allows himself a period of rest for the purpose of renewal.

Devotional Thoughts

 (For children): The Lord warned His people what would happen if they did not honour His sabbaths (Leviticus 26:32-35). The people did not listen (Ezekiel 23:38), and the Lord kept His word (2 Chronicles 36:20-21).
 (For everyone): Things that fail to receive the necessary rest fail to be as fruitful as desired. How can this truth be applied in the life of a Christian? Are you enjoying the appropriate amount of rest?
 What is the quickest way for a Christian to quit the work of the Lord? How close are you to giving in to the pressures and quitting the work God has called you to do?

Prayer Thoughts

 Ask the Lord to help you rest so that you can remain fruitful.
 Thank the Lord for showing you the need to rest.

SONG: BE STILL, MY SOUL