2 Simple Reasons Why the Sabbath is More Important Today Than Ever
In today’s culture we so often struggle to walk in rhythm with God and find rest for our souls.
Yet too many of us neglect one of the greatest gifts he has given to help us - the Sabbath.
I want to invite you to experience a new resource called 52 Sabbaths, a free weekly e-mail that unwraps the gift of God’s Sabbath one week at a time, over the course of a year.
Why is the Sabbath important? Here’s 2 powerful reasons…
1) Gods Antidote for Stress
The Sabbath was made to help us release our burdens to God and stay in rhythm with his plans for our lives. This devotional will help you explore and apply God’s gift of the Sabbath rest in your life, and understand its wider purpose for your family and community, as we explore a different aspect each week.
When some of the Israelites ignored the Sabbath God told Moses to tell them - ‘do they not realize the Sabbath is my gift to them?’ Similarly, Jesus said ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of man, not man the Sabbath.’ Often we can take on the second part of that phrase (it shouldn’t be a burden), but forget to apply the first and ask God - how can this gift actually meet my needs?
In truth, God designed us with the Sabbath in mind - it is not an afterthought but something integral to living as God intended.
Firstly, so we can come back to ourselves and to Him each week. We find rest for our body, soul, and spirit. We release burdens to Him. We invite Him to be central to our lives and give Him access to our hearts. We stop as an act of faith, not because we have finished, and this teaches us to trust him more, recognizing that He holds everything together, not us.
The Sabbath is God’s antidote for stress and prescription for a healthy life.
“God designed us with the Sabbath in mind - it is not an afterthought but something integral to living as God intended.”
2) God’s Course Correction
Secondly, the Sabbath provides a course correction for our lives, ensuring we remember and give time to relationships with those closest to us and to the plans that God has for us. We give ourselves wholeheartedly to be present with those around us, we stop our ‘ordinary work’ and remember the why behind what we do.
The Sabbath helps us to create stronger families and communities as we intentionally give time to loving others and building relationships.
A Sanctuary in Time
In the series I explore a different aspect of the Sabbath each week and think about how it applies to our lives in all these areas. I end with a few questions to help guide your reflection and prayer, either individually or with others.
As you uncover the layers one by one, over the course of a year you will experience transformation in your soul, and a greater sense of God’s perspective and peace in your life.
Sign up for free and join the journey to unwrap one of God’s greatest gifts.
The Sabbath can become a refuge and a delight – or as Abraham Heschel called it, a ‘sanctuary in time’ - if we are willing to build it.
