Sabbath: The Rest of ItSample

Day Three: Resting In Who God Is

Have you ever stopped to get some fresh air in the middle of a big project? Paused to grab water during a workout? Or maybe you’ve pulled over at a rest stop in the middle of a long drive.

In our work of all kinds, it’s normal to pause and kick our feet up for a bit—not because the work is done, but because without a break, we won’t have the strength to finish it.

The concept of Sabbath is a little different. When we practice Sabbath, we're not just taking a breather from our work; it's a chance for us to experience rest on a much deeper level.

We are invited to practice God’s rest in the middle of our struggles—even when the work is not complete.

We can rest because of who God is and because in Him, the work is already complete.

The Sabbath is an opportunity for us to spend a day living as if God’s promises have already been fulfilled—a day to rest in His faithfulness. It's not a day to relax for those who have it all together and everything covered. (By the way, who are those people? We've never met them.) It's a day to rest knowing He's got us covered.

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself declared that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5) and the source of our rest.

He is Jehovah Jireh, our ultimate Provider (Genesis 22:7-8). Everything we need can be found in Him.

He is El Shaddai, God Almighty (Genesis 17:1, Genesis 35:1). Just like a mother provides for her child, God can completely nourish and satisfy us.

We can rest because our God is Jehovah Raah (Genesis 48:15), our shepherd.

We're invited to rest because God is Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6:24), the Lord of Peace.

If you’ve ever doubted, let these names be a reminder to you that you are loved by a good God, and part of His love for you is His gift of Sabbath. Will you accept the gift?

Tip for practicing Sabbath:

As you create your own Sabbath rhythm, you may find it helpful to choose a starting and stopping ritual for your day of rest. This could be starting and ending the day with reading the Bible. It could be turning off your phone and turning it back on at the end of the day, or something as simple as taking a walk or going to church. Doing this can help you mentally set apart your Sabbath from other days of the week.