TUESDAY: SABBATH
KEY PASSAGE
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
DEVOTIONAL
It is easy to think that if we can just get to the end of the day, put on comfy clothes, and sink into the couch, then we’ll finally be happy. TV and bed are always waiting for us, but how often do they actually satisfy our needs? We arrive at the time of rest, yet the worries of the day linger, now combined with the worries of home and the worries of tomorrow, leaving us restless. The rest we need is on the other side of all the tasks that clutter our lives and weigh on our minds.
Why did God rest on the seventh day? Certainly not because He needed rest. He wasn’t tired. The creation of Earth and the universe didn’t wear Him out. God rested because He was finished. The Hebrew word for rest is shabat, which has multiple meanings - not only to rest, but also to stop or cease. God rested because His work was done.
We are meant to work and create, but we are meant to rest as well. The Sabbath is a gift from God that allows us to pause our work for a time and enjoy creation, God, and the people around us. Your work today may not be finished, and there will surely be more work to do tomorrow. That is why it is so important to take Sabbath - set aside your to-do list and intentionally rest with the Lord. As Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
CHALLENGE
Sabbath is a designated day of the week for rest. Maybe you can't set aside an entire day this week. Maybe all you can manage is an evening or a few hours in the afternoon. Whatever it looks like for you, take a step today to make intentional rest with God part of your routine. Set a reminder in your phone or put it in your calendar. Ask God to help you create a rhythm of rest in your daily life.