Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. – Genesis 2:3
Sabbath. God’s Shabbat. A day for rest, for reflection, for worship. A boundary to cease, to stop. Space to reflect. Margin to enjoy.
I remember when I was in graduate school, my professor told me I needed to create chunks of time to write and to think. I needed time to assemble and make the connections necessary between what I had gathered in terms of facts and data. Without doing that, without pausing, I would not be able to determine what was next.
As I entered the work world, I found it was necessary to block chunks of my calendar from having meetings scheduled during those times. If I didn’t, I just went from one meeting to the next with no time for reflection or preparation.
It’s a bit like working on a jigsaw puzzle. You have a pile of pieces. You look at the picture on the box and then try to determine what you need to move forward.
Sabbath was given to us as a time to reflect on what has been, to enjoy what we have “gathered” from God’s provision, to be thankful and worship Him Who has supplied all our needs (and quite a few of our wants). To reflect.
Sabbath is also the bridge to prepare for the next week. We can anticipate God’s faithfulness extending into the future. We can ponder how the provisions of the past shape and support our future.
The margin we are given by obediently honoring the Sabbath also helps us understand that we are not in charge and that even if we rest the earth will continue to rotate and revolve, life will occur, death will occur, and God is sovereign. When we ignore the boundary and gift of Sabbath, it is very easy to believe we are in charge of everything. It is also difficult to make connections and see a clear path forward of peace and joy.
Pause. Breathe. Sabbath.
Just Sayin' 