Years, months and even seconds are measured by tracking the movement of heavenly bodies. The week represents seven rotations of the earth, but where did it originate?

The ancient Egyptians observed a ten-day week, while the oldest Roman calendar observed an eight-day week. One ancient people, however, observed a seven-day calendar for thousands of years, obeying a decree from God the Creator.

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us God set in order the sky and earth as we know them in six days. 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).

Many who regard themselves as Christians claim to observe the Ten Commandments, but all too often the fourth commandment is ignored. It states: “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 thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:” (Exodus 20:8-10).

Both in the Genesis account and in Exodus 20 when God gave us the Ten Commandments, the Creator of time states that He set aside the entire seventh day each week—Friday sunset to Saturday sunset in order for us to draw closer to Him.

By obeying the fourth commandment we are reminded that the seventh day is a memorial of creation and we are recognizing our Creator and focusing on Him. Observing the Sabbath changes our priorities and helps us understand what is really important, by providing a regular day of physical and spiritual rest, no matter how hectic our week has been.

Instead of cramming every day with exhausting activity, it’s time to start enjoying the day God has set aside for us to rest and renew your relationship with Him.