Year of the Bible: Part Three of Twelve Sample

Sabbath.

It's been a while since we last discussed this valuable topic, and we know God underlines truths by repeating them. We see a strong emphasis on respecting our God-given limits throughout the whole Bible, specifically around the topic of keeping the sabbath. So, what does "sabbath" mean, and how do you keep it?

In his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Peter Scazzero differentiates between a "day off" and a "sabbath" like this. "A day off is often used to replenish our energies and make us more effective on the other six days in a week." Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word 'sabat,' meaning to stop, cease, and keep, but it is more than just stopping working.

Scazzero gives four elements of a biblically-based sabbath, which are as follows:
•Stop: Stopping (yes, even if your to-do list is still yelling at you) is one way you embrace our God-given limits.
•Rest: Do what replenishes you instead of working and trying to get things accomplished.
•Delight: After finishing His work, God said, "it was very good." He took time to delight in all he had created.
•Contemplate: Take time to think about God in detail, giving thanks for who He is and what He is like.

Question: Imagine God will be physically present with you on one of your next days off. What outside of your normal routine might He invite you to do? What do you want to remember from today's video?

Prayer Focus: The enslaved Israelites never had a day off in Egypt. They constantly worked without real rest and certainly without recreation. They needed God's strong guidance to reshape their thinking about life, rest, and delight. If you work without ceasing, take some time to ask God to help you understand why you feel the need to work and never stop.