The Gift of Sabbath

written by Linsley and Chris Hartenstein

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:1-3‬ 

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about rest. Why it’s important, how we can release our worries and cares to our heavenly Dad, and afterwards, receive the rest He offers us. This true rest we have been describing is a part of Sabbath...

Sabbath is a command and, more importantly, a created blessing of a holy day set aside to rest with our heavenly Dad (Gen. 2:2-3; Deut. 5:12). Implementing a Sabbath into our weekly rhythms helps develop a deeper connection with our Creator, Sustainer, Lover, Healer and Father. It’s a purposeful time to foster and restore the deep kind of intimacy humanity once had with our Dad in the garden.

Because we are all uniquely designed, everyone’s Sabbath rest with the Father can look different. Luckily, our heavenly Dad created us and knows what we need to rest well. Even in our big family, each of us have different activities, apart from family rhythms, that bring us life on Sabbath. Judah loves a nap. Isabel loves to cook, and Gabbi loves to write, etc. Regardless of how we spend our Sabbath, His desire is to reconnect with us and refocus us on what is important; rejuvenating our bodies, minds, and spirits. Our heavenly Father is amazing and meets us wherever and however we make space for Sabbath in our lives because He wants an intimate relationship with each of us.

So no matter how you rest, make sure that your Sabbath leaves you rested and reconnected with Him! We pray that you set whatever boundaries necessary to receive the gift of a Sabbath rest from your heavenly Father. Take some time and evaluate how resting is going for you!

 Calibration:
- Do you currently have a Sabbath?
- If so, what does it look like?
- If not, what keeps you from receiving the gift of Sabbath from your heavenly Dad?
- How can you implement a Sabbath or change how you’re spending your Sabbath so that you are really resting and reconnecting with your heavenly Dad?  

Additional Scripture:
"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. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 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 ‭20:8-11‬ ‭‬‬

“And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭2:27‬ ‭