The Sabbath

Sabbath-Shabbat-Shalom
 

work…then rest

3 “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord. ~leviticus 23:3~

what does shabbat, sabbath, really mean? i like the hebrew phrase: shabbat shalom, meaning - May you dwell in peace/ completeness/ wholeness on the seventh day.

In other words, as you take time to rest and honor the Lord, I pray you experience true peace and become whole again. Shabbat is an invitation to come and worship, in a beautiful exchange that revives and strengthens our souls.

~brought to you by FIRM~

from BibleStudyTools.com, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sabbath:

If the Creator stopped his creative activity on the seventh day, then those who share in his creative work must do the same. Sabbath contravenes any pride that may accompany human mastery and manipulation of God's creation. In ceasing from labor one is reminded of one's true status as a dependent being, of the God who cares for and sustains all his creatures, and of the world as a reality belonging ultimately to God.

taken from Christianity.com - unlike the other 9 commandments, which the Bible seems to list and then move on to the next one, the writer (Moses) pauses here and gives an explanation about Sabbath (4th commandment):

  • People work six days a week. (Exodus 20:9)

  • On the seventh day, no one should work. Not your daughter, son, cattle, etc. (Exodus 20:10)

  • God, when creating the world, took a day off to rest, so why can’t you? (Exodus 20:11)

ever since i was young, we heard from our parents and family members the value of working hard, getting an education, and making money (a lot of it was the goal for all of us kids). i often struggle with this area of my life (relax and be restored), my walk with The Lord. as i try to run my business, be a diligent employee, loving husband and father, etc. i tend to do work when i should be resting, while at other times i am resting too much and not actually working. while i may not be alone, there truly is no comfort here knowing others deal with the same issue. the question i ask myself is - if i do follow The Lord, why is it so hard to simply checkout and rest?

as i hear this coming into my mind and heart recently, and over the course of many years, is that i don’t find time to stop and rejuvenate, being in the presence of God/Jesus, waiting patiently on them to restore me. in some sad way it boils down to trust: do i truly believe that my and my family’s needs will be met? tough thing to hear me say it, even writing it here. although i don’t do it intentionally to prove that i can do it without The Lord’s help, i don’t think it really matters much when my actions don’t align with what i profess to believe.

had a conversation with my life group about my challenge in this area in my walk with The Lord. what i came away with from our discussion is what are my priorities and what am i going to do about this since it has been a problem for so long that has yet to be solved. shared that i have been slowly cutting back on the time spent at night, from 12-1am, down to 11:30pm, then 11, and now 10:30 where i just stop regardless of what i have going on.

if i am to live like Christ, do as Jesus taught and said “if you love me, do as i command,” how do i not take it serious. when i am able to find rest in Him, my relationship with Him grows as the trust builds and the love flows. this also translates to my family, friends, coworkers, and whomever is brought into my life. each and every day i can cut out the useless things that take away from my peace and rest during Sabbath. 1) recognize and acknowledge i have work to do in this area; 2) pray and seek The Lord - help, guidance, etc. 3) continue to get in The Word for instructions; 4) identify what is urgent and important; 5) prioritize which needs my attention and focus; 6) tackle them head on; 7) schedule out what then needs to be done; 8) cancel what is useless; 9) work on communication and delegation; 10) pass off opportunities that would be better served by someone else or another company;

this is not going to happen overnight, but it needs to start now in order for better habits to build - act to habit then to character (charles reade)

remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. but the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ~2 corinthians 9:6~

thank you Father God for helping me through this process. help me with the elimination of those things in my life that takes away from my building a deeper relationship with you, that minimizes my trust in You alone, and allowing my faith to wane. i truly want to be set free in this area of my life, believing and knowing you will always be there for my family and i, that we lack nothing when we have You. i love you, we love you Lord, and humbly ask this in your name, Jesus, amen!