Receiving the gift of Sabbath in a busy, hectic world.
Paul Talbot/Unsplash
God commanded that we “remember to observe the Sabbath” (Ex. 20:8), yet so often we live like hamsters on a wheel—ever running, driven at a hectic pace. We tend to go, go, go until we can’t go anymore, even though this way of life leaves us physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. This week, Rhythms of Rest author Shelly Miller invites us to reimagine Sabbath as more than a command—as a gift we deeply need. Reflect this week on how God may be inviting you to establish new rhythms of rest and recreation. (To have these and future devotions emailed to you for free, click here.)
Monday, November 14, 2016
Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
A Day of Rest and Grace
A plethora of studies show that the brain requires alternating periods of structured work followed by unstructured rest in order to maximize function. When God made remembering the Sabbath the fourth commandment, he asked us to make the day holy and set apart. And when Jesus came to earth as one of us, he set us free from the law of how Sabbath should look. The commandments are still relevant today because truth never changes; it is always and eternally true. However, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins changes the rules of Sabbath to a day of grace. He is waiting for us to be with him and to trust that his commandments are good. No matter what day or how much time we choose to give him, Jesus is Sabbath. When we make the day different on his behalf, holiness inhabits our intentions.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Ecclesiastes 1:3–8
“What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.”
The Busyness Fallacy
Busyness bullies with a false message of fitting in. Most of us have believed the fallacy the world advertises: Achieve, produce, and earn success in order to gain acceptance, love, and ultimate happiness. But the more we fill our lives with yeses, even noble and good ones, who we are slowly drifts into obscurity until all that remains is a shadow of our former self, void of purpose and definition. When we believe there is never enough time to do everything, we become aimless and forget why we are here on the earth. “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content,” writes the teacher in Ecclesiastes 1:8. Sabbath reminds us that we belong because we are already accepted. Rest requires that we be who we are and nothing else. A life built upon Sabbath is contented because in rhythms of rest we discover our time is full of the holiness of God.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Matthew 11:28–30
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”
The Sabbath Invitation
I’ve mistakenly equated the fourth commandment with God’s index finger wagging in front of my face. Instead, his stance on Sabbath is arms wide open and waiting for me to run into his embrace. Sabbath is a personal epistle from Jesus with news about your life. Sabbath is an invitation for intimate conversation. It is an intentional quieting, transforming…
