Dear friends,

There’s a term occasionally used in music, tempo giusto. This can be the idea that each composition has its own ideal tempo, or it might include the idea of trying to arrive at the tempo that the composer intended.

The author of the human race had a correct pace or tempo that He intended His people to operate at. This, as you well know, is to work six days and then have a day of rest. Our bodies aren’t designed to keep on working day after day, week after week, and year after year without regular periods of rest.

I recently read a book about a woman in her early thirties who had a massive heart attack and came very close to dying. If she hadn’t been working only minutes from one of the leading hospitals in the country the outcome would have been different.

She and her doctors were very puzzled why a young woman who ate right and kept in excellent shape by serious workouts had this happen to her. Weeks later as she was recovering at home, she began to realize what had caused her problem.

She related that she had lived at a very fast pace for many years, not understanding the need for solid regular breaks from work and pressure. She was very successful at her job, but always forced herself to do even better and to accomplish more. She constantly filled her life with the stress of the demands she put on herself.

There are many causes of problems with the human heart other than over work and stress, and it isn’t necessary or even right for us to try to figure out why someone else has a health problem. As Christians our work is to pray for others and do all we can to encourage people that we come in contact with. But it’s still true that our world today is filled with stress and problems that can wear us down and deplete our courage.

As we keep the Sabbath we are working at the tempo that the Creator planned for us, and we are keeping in phase with His plan as Creator of the whole world. And as we observe the Sabbath, we also have a built in way to remember all God’s blessings and to take special time to praise Him. This lifts us up and gives us vision above and beyond our own limited view.

Have courage and peace as you keep this Sabbath.

Ralph