Soul Care Part 4: SabbathSample

Rhythm of Rest

As descendants of Abraham, God made a covenant agreement with the nation of Israel that if they obediently follow Him as their King, He would be their God and would protect, provide for, and bless them. The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 clearly laid out God’s primary expectations for His people. The first three commandments dealt specifically with how the people were to revere God; the last five dealt with how they were to interact with each other. The fourth one, remembering and keeping the Sabbath, gave specific instruction on how to maintain a healthy relationship between their spiritual and earthly lives. This observance was meant to be a regular act of humility by stopping all work and acknowledging that He is the LORD, the source of all things. The repetitive nature established a healthy rhythm of rest and refreshment for the people.

By definition, none of the commandments were optional. Each one was a non-negotiable part of the agreement. Yet history has shown that the observance of God’s Sabbath is often minimized or ignored in disobedience of His command.

Ask Yourself:

-Why do think God included His Sabbaths as one of His primary commands, right along with “You shall have no other gods before me’ and You shall not murder?

-Why do you think this particular commandment is so frequently disobeyed?

Pause to Pray:

Father God, I thank You for loving us enough to give us clear instructions for holy living with You. Please align my heart with Your commandments, and grant me insight into Your heart for observing Your Sabbaths. Help me to honor You more fully in ____________.

Take a Next Step:

Set aside some quiet time to make an honest assessment of where you currently stand in regard to observing the Sabbath commandment. How important is it to you? How well would it fit into your current schedule? If you aren’t practicing it regularly, what would need to change for you to start?