Your Greatest Benefit: The Sabbath

With the kickoff of this sixth month, we dove into our greatest possession: the soul. We talked, in very brief summation, about how our spirituality means nothing without practicality. “Spiritual experiences are not supposed to be isolated events in the life of the believer, but foundational encounters that the rest of that believer's life stands on.”

Long story short, the Lord God cares not only about our spirit, but also our soul. He cares “holistically.”

If you need more of a refresher, I encourage you to go back and read our first devotional of the month, released last Monday by our very own founder, Pastor Ayeisha Isidore (AK). I honor and thank you Kirk for your leadership and friendship in my life. 

Nevertheless, today, instead of talking about our greatest possession, we’re going to speak about our greatest benefit: the Sabbath.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”

Exodus 20:8-11 CSB

Before I start, I want to define the word Sabbath for us in the Hebrew and break down what it actually means. 

The word Sabbath, in the Hebrew, is šabāṯ (pronounced Shab-bawth). Meaning an “intermission,” or to stop, or as we commonly know it, “to rest.” 

The Sabbath (Rest) was given as one of the 10 commandments to the Israelites, from God to Moses for the separation of the people from the other idolatrous and secular groups around them. This was during the wilderness period. These 10 commandments are still in effect to this day. 

Now that we have the context and definition out of the way, let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of this devotional. Rest…

Rest is an OBLIGATION and benefit, not a luxury or gift. 

How you observe your “rest” is up to you, but it is a MUST, that you observe your Sabbath. Not for God’s well-being, but for your own (Mark 2:27).

• “Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” 

Mark 2:27 CSB

The key to a healthy soul: your mind, body, and emotions, is a balanced life of rest and work.

The ratio of rest to work is 6:1. 6 days of work to 1 day of rest. God is not asking for much, if anything at all, because rest should be a good thing, not a burdensome one.

Well, some may ask, “What does proper rest look like?” 

“The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” 

Psalm 91:1 CSB

Some translations, like the NIV and NLT say “rests” instead of “dwells,” they are synonymous for this passage. With that being said, to properly find rest for your soul, you must abide in the Lord’s presence and bring Him into everything you do (Colossians 3:17)!

• “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:17 CSB

This may look like intentionally starting off your Sabbath (Rest) day in the Presence (if you have the ability to), to include Him, and inviting Him into doing something you enjoy—this can be anything like watching a movie, or eating with friends, etc—just invite Him into everything. LIVE in the protection of the Most High, through your thinking, your actions, and your choices.

Now, others may ask about the don'ts of a sabbatical (resting). Instead of talking about the don’ts, let’s speak about some of the most common misconceptions, and I’ll let you decide what you should and should not do.

Misconception #1 (the most common) - “It is merely a rigid list of do’s and don’ts, designed to restrict freedom.” 

The reality of this statement is that Jesus came against this harmful type of thinking. If you look toward Mark 2:23-28 and continuing onto Mark 3:1-6, you see that the Lord emphasized the Sabbath as a practice made to serve the well-being of YOU! If it was a strict set of rules, like the pharisee’s envisioned and practiced, we’d be bound to legalism and that is one of the very things Jesus came to free us from. 

Misconception #2 - “It has to be a strict 24-hour period.” 

Now this one is my favorite to address, because it exposes the heart posture of many people practicing their sabbath. I want you to be on the lookout for what I’m about to tell you. I am going to repeat the Bible.

“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” 

Mark 2:27 CSB 

The key word to address this misconception is “intentionality.” Be “intentional” with your Sabbath and not practicing it just because you are required to. However, it best serves you, just do it. After all, I repeat the Word, it was made for you and not you for it. So, if you have to do it in 4-hour blocks, 10-hour blocks, 30-minute intervals, do what you have to do. But remember, God knows the “intentions” of your heart (1 Samuel 16:7), so do it with the right heart posture and you will get the most out of it. 

Misconception #3 - “It will hurt your productivity and success.” 

This walk is all about faith, and exercising said faith. If you feel that you cannot take a day off to take care of your mental, physical, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being, then something is seriously wrong and you need to do some serious self-reflection.

**(Disclaimer: This does not apply to those with extenuating circumstances, such as childcare, family/job obligations (outside of your control), and/or emergencies)**

Do not expect to have a healthy or productive Sabbath if you did not do ALL of your responsibilities or obligations before your rest day. 

Exodus 20:9 says, “you are to labor six days and do ALL your work,” not some but ALL.

Try to get done as much as you can, not in an effort to be perfect or to mark off a checklist, but to be considerate of your future self and their circumstance of rest. You owe yourself that much. You have been working very hard and I am very proud of you.

Now, of course, this isn’t the only reason why your rest may not feel productive. You may feel like you can’t rest, for reasons unknown and other reasons we will not get into today, but this is where your faith comes into play. Trust God and get some rest. You don’t just deserve it; It’s a requirement from God Almighty Himself. A requirement that He, being God and not needing it, even partook in Himself.  

Note: If you want to learn more about the topic of Sabbath (Rest), speak to your pastor and have a conversation about what works best for you. This is what they are there for of course