Sabbath Rest

My sabbatical was a wonderful time of worship, rest, and renewal. The absence of the ‘normal’ routine of work offered a fresh perspective of discerning obvious mistakes in my life that were otherwise invisible to my hurried eye. For example, I realized how plugged in I was to a constant stream of listening to sermons, lectures, and podcasts that I experienced so little time of silence just to reflect. No wonder my mind felt so little rest. And the ‘’rest’ I mean here is not merely the mental rejuvenation of inactivity. But the freedom from obstacles that distract from our core purpose in life of worship. And this gets to the heart of Sabbath rest. It’s physical, emotional, and spiritual rest where we live out the purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him. Our deepest hope, peace, and love result from our worship of the Lord. This is the rest that we need and that Jesus offers us:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9-10)

I thank the Lord that I was able to notice the intense distraction consuming me during my time off. And even as my sabbatical is complete, I have the opportunity to engage in the weekly rhythm of remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy with the people of God. May we grow in this much needed rest all for His glory!