Flourish: Living a Fruitful Lifeਨਮੂਨਾ

DAY 1 / The Soil – Rest Equips Us For Fruitfulness

When does your day start? Most of us think it’s at sunrise, when we wake up and begin our activities. However, Jewish culture views the day as beginning with sunset, meaning their day starts with rest first, then work and activities. This practice originated in Genesis 1, where it repeatedly says, “And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day” (verse 5), etc, with each day being described as beginning at evening.

We also read that on the sixth day God created humans, and then He rested from His work of creation on the seventh day. Newborn humanity started their existence by joining Him in this rest.

In the Old Testament, God not only models rest, He commands a day of rest each week (called “Sabbath”) in Exodus 20:8. God had done miracle after miracle to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom, providing everything they needed as they journeyed through the wilderness. But like many of us today, instead of savouring God’s provision and enjoying His rest, the Israelites sinned and disobeyed God.

Farmers have a practice called “fallowing” where they intentionally allow their land to have periods of rest - not producing crops. They know that unrested ground will struggle to maintain the nutrients it needs to produce healthy crops and will require more external chemical interventions, such as fertilizers and pesticides. By allowing the soil seasons of rest, farmers can sustainably maintain the fruitfulness of their land over long periods of time.

While it’s true that God created humanity to do good works, to rule over creation with Him, we, too, need intentional rest to continually flourish throughout our lifetimes. Author Dave Adamson wrote, “When God commanded His people to practice sabbath, it wasn’t primarily about rules but about freedom-a weekly declaration that they were no longer slaves. Slaves work without ceasing. Free people rest without guilt.”

True flourishing doesn’t come from constant work and hustle; it flows out of a life of holy rhythms that restore our spirits, minds, and bodies. When we rest in God, we live from a place of strength, not striving.

Reflection:

Are you working from rest or resting from work? What does a soul at rest look like for you, and what rhythms do you have in place (or could you) to cultivate this?