Blue Zones is a best-selling book that shares the secrets of longevity from some of the longest living people in the world. While most of the “blue zones” are found in foreign lands, one surprising pocket of long-lived people are found in Loma Linda, California. While many elderly in the United States suffer from diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's, this notable group of centurions seems to live in a way that guards them against the ravages of these modern diseases.
In a
recent report on the
NBC Today Show, this fascinating group living in Southern California was highlighted for its unique combination of healthy diet, active lifestyle, and a distinctive practice—Sabbathkeeping. The program reported that Sabbathkeeping provides these people the time to disconnect from the busyness of life and focus on their faith, family, and the natural world. The Sabbath also gives them a chance to reconnect with their purpose and identity.
Science is only just beginning to underscore the truths found in God’s original design and plan, found in Genesis 2, for humans. As God created a perfect world for us, He demonstrated and provided a weekly Sabbath for humanity in its perfect state. Later, to help save them from idolatry and to keep His plan for them central in their lives, God commanded His people to remember that “in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:12).
God gave this holy time to us to delight in and to connect with Him, especially in a world beset by sin. Beyond that, the Sabbath can also help us preserve our identity as Christians. Jesus gave us His own example of Sabbathkeeping, demonstrating on multiple occasions that the Sabbath was a day for making people whole and to bring healing. In John 5:9, Jesus brought healing to a sick man: “Immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.”
Just as God showed man in the beginning how to keep the Sabbath, when Jesus came to earth, He demonstrated through His healing power true Sabbathkeeping in a world tormented by the ravages of sin
Has Sabbathkeeping brought you better health? Your testimony is a powerful testimony to God and His creative power. Would you like to share more about the blessings of Sabbath and the Bible's message for healthier living with your family and friends? Find out more by
clicking here!