Journal Entry // January 3, 2022
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 2:3 ESV
The seventh day, the Sabbath day, the holy day of rest. This is a day that I have trouble truly understanding how best to honor and be obedient. There seems to be a good variety of opinions and interpretations and understanding of what God has called his people to with the Sabbath. God blessed this day. God made it holy. God rested from all his work of creation. The Sabbath was set up for us.
These are all important details to better understand the Sabbath and its role in my life. I know I have neglected the importance of the Sabbath over the last two decades of life. I know that I have oftentimes treated it as just another day and let it pass without any real acknowledgement of it being a holy day. For instance, this weekend I was away with family and I treated Sunday as if it was just the same as the other days in the long holiday weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday… They were all the same to me this weekend. I spent time in reflection and fellowship with Christ but I don’t feel as though it was treated as holy. To be fair I could say this about the previous Sundays as well.
God blessed the Sabbath because he rested from his work of creation. There is something special in this phrase. God resting from his work and taking time to enjoy the fruit of his labor. I don’t think the Sabbath is merely just a rest from my normal day to day work. That’s simply just a holiday. Time away from work is not what is in view here. It is definitely about rest, because that is important, but where am I resting.
The Sabbath is about the holiness of God and refreshing my heart with his grace and mercy. The Sabbath is a day to meet with my Friend and spend time with my Father. To renew and refresh and revive my heart, soul, and mind in the presence of Jesus. To take time away from the day to day and reconnect with the eternal.
How? I don’t think there is a a 12 step non-negotiable process for a perfect Sabbath. I think that even if we set up a holy prescription for the Sabbath I can just go through the motions and not really participate in a Sabbath rest. Just as I can rob God by not giving joyfully, I can miss the Sabbath as well. Because the Sabbath is Jesus himself.
It’s about engaging with Jesus more deeply, more meaningfully, more intentionally. It’s about Adoration – Confession – Thanksgiving – Supplication. I can engage in a multitude of ways, but they should all be about Jesus. The focus needs to be on loving God and loving others. I need to take time to come and rest in Jesus as I lay my burdens down and take up his yoke. For his yoke is easy and his burden is light. This is where I want to see my Sabbath… Focused on Christ alone.