Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God…. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-9, 11 ESV)
Rest does not come very easy for some of us because we are preoccupied with a long list of concerns such as work, relationships, health, and finances. The Lord understands that life can get very hectic for us, and he knows that we can become exhausted or even discouraged. I believe this is one reason why he blessed the Sabbath day and commanded us to rest. He is giving us an opportunity to put our concerns on pause for the day so we can allow ourselves to take refuge in him.
Did it ever occur to you that the Sabbath day is part of God’s provision? As the Good Shepherd, he provided instruction for us to rest on the seventh day because he cares for our physical and spiritual well-being. But sometimes when we think about having a day of rest, there is a temptation for us to fill our time with activities to the point where they become the center of the Sabbath instead of Jesus. Now there is nothing wrong with planning rest and recreation with friends and family. In fact, it is important that we do those things so we can reconnect and nurture our relationships. However, we must remember that the Sabbath day is not just a time to check out from our routines and responsibilities. It is a holy day when we must check in and spend time with Jesus. We should ask ourselves:
· Where is my mind and heart on this Sabbath day?
· In what areas of my life do I need to thank, praise, and worship God?
Please note that these questions are intended to be primers for our prayers because they help us reconnect with our Good Shepherd. The benefit of doing this on a regular basis can be found in Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Notice that he stated that we would find rest for our souls! Only he can provide this kind of rest, a divine rest filled with hope, encouragement, and reassurance because he knows our needs and promises to meet them (Matthew 6:25-33). Our duty, which hopefully becomes our delight, is to not worry or be anxious but instead fully trust, love, and worship God who is constantly working and caring for us. So, on this Sabbath Sunday, I leave you with a prayer inspired by Psalm 31:
Psalm 31
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Prayer
O Lord, my heart is not too proud. With humility, I do not waste any time with worry and matters too complex for me to understand. I have calmed and quieted my soul because I released my concerns to you for you to handle. Please help me rest in your arms and to be fully satisfied with who you are and how you care for my needs. My hope will continue to rest on you this Sabbath day and forevermore.
Discussion / Reflection Questions
What are some key highlights of your 2021? What was praiseworthy? What continues to be a concern? Write them down in a journal and pray about them.
What does it personally mean to you, to find rest for your soul?
What can you do differently in the new year of 2022 to ensure that you are consistently observing the Sabbath day?