When Jesus was walking on the earth, observing the Sabbath was of the utmost importance in the Jewish community, so there were many rules and regulations around it. Jesus clarifies the intent for the Sabbath in Mark 2:27. He tells us, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

We were meant to live in a rhythm—six days of work and one day of restorative rest. Though there are many aspects to observing the Sabbath, in this devotion we have focused on three: unplugging, resting and delighting. Joy and delight are important parts of the Sabbath.

In Dan Allender’s book Sabbath, he says this:

“The Sabbath is an invitation to enter delight. The Sabbath, when experienced as God intended, is the best day of our lives. Without question or thought, it is the best day of the week…. It is the holy time when we feast, play, dance… pray, laugh, tell stories, read, paint, walk and watch creation in its fullness.”

We often reduce the Sabbath day to a day of running errands, getting things done or catching up on work. But doesn’t something stir in your heart when you read Allender’s words? The gift of having one day a week to rest, to be with people you love and to do something you love? We often only experience this on vacation! Wouldn’t it be amazing to create a rhythm where you have one day a week to connect your heart to God’s through joy and delight?

Application

Take a few hours this weekend to do something you love. Take a hike or walk, read, paint, go to a park and play—whatever gives you joy! Try to set aside an entire Sabbath day. Check out the blog post in the Go Deeper section to help you plan it.

Go Deeper Resources

Read Part 2: Leading in Rhythm: Rhythms of Work and Rest, a blog post by Ruth Haley Barton.