chosentofollowhim

And there was evening and morning, the sixth day. Completed were the heavens and the earth, and all their host. And God finished, on the seventh day, His work which He had done; and He ceased on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it He ceased from all His work of creating which God had made. Genesis 1:31-2:3

“And they shall keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant. Exodus 31:16

Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “Now speak to the children of Israel saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Shabbat, for it is a sign between me and you throughout the generations, so that you may know that it is I Adonai who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to keep the Shabbat, because it is holy to you.” Exodus 31:12-14

And Yeshua said to them, “Shabbat was made for man and not man for Shabbat. So the Son of Many is Lord even on Shabbat.” Mark 2:27-28

Yeshua is the Lord of the Sabbath, He created it as a gift for humanity. In essence, it is a day to not only rest, but reflect, worship, praise, and honor Abba, our Father. The Torah says in Deuteronomy 5:12 that we are to “Protect the Sabbath and sanctify it,” and we do this by pausing for a full twenty-four hour period; sundown on Friday evening to sundown on Saturday. The heart of Sabbath-keeping is found in what takes place around the dinner table with family and friends. It is the richness of this time devoted to rest and glorifying the Lord that can transform our weeks.

The majority of societies we are drifting further away from holding and honoring Biblical traditions, particularly that which are God-ordained. As Christians, it is necessary to help preserve our blessing of the Sabbath. Children thrive on tradition because it provides stability in a world that is constantly changing. The Sabbath day offers us the opportunity to create some of our most cherished memories that will hopefully last a lifetime, ultimately setting ourselves up on a steady rhythm of function and abundant living.

Before the first day of rest, when God had finished His work of creation Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw everything that He made was good.” The phrase “very good” in Hebrew can also be translated as “beautiful.” God took time to notice the beauty of creation. When we allow beauty to wash over us something deep in our souls begins to reset. We catch a glimpse of life before the fall, when all was right in the world, when God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. We remember that God made everything very good and that one day everything will be amended. Restoration is coming and there will be no shame or guilt in resting. We were created as beings, not doings.

Implementing the Sabbath into my life is still work in progress. I have three boys whom all have full schedules so we work with what we are provided each week. Some Sabbaths look like simply resting at home with worship music playing and reading a good book. Other Sabbaths include a delicious homemade meal with friends while engaging in rich conversation. My favourite Sabbath days are spent in creation, meeting with God in His artistic element. I love basking in His presence up on a mountain, deep in the forest, or out fishing on a lake. Removing myself from all distractions is the key to a perfect, restorative Sabbath. I can set my eyes fully on Yeshua and connect with the Spirit on a profoundly deeper level. These moments of joy and peace seem to linger even longer in to the following week. 

Everyone has their own unique way of functioning from week to week, but allowing the Sabbath to be the primary day of getting reset is key to establishing a healthy and anchored life. God longs to be the center of our lives. He wants to partake in our gatherings and our dinner table talk. His joy is manifested when we invite Him in to the resting of our minds, bodies, and souls. In surrendering the week to Him, He is able to fill our cup to overflowing so that we can work from a place of rest and not depletion. Implementing a solid Sabbath into our week takes effort and planning but once the rhythm is established, there is no looking back. The wind blows through our sails and He becomes the captain of the ship. The Sabbath was not meant to burden people but to ease their burden. This is why in Mark 2:27 Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”  This is an invitation to allow the Lord to take your struggles, worries, and the things that keep you awake at night, hand them to Him and rest while He stands guard over you.

Lastly, I invite you to use this coming Sabbath as a day to make a special meal with your family. Light some Shabbat candles. Read the Psalms and recite a blessing over your children and spouse. Allow God to reshape your Sabbath by meditating on Him for the entirety of the day.

Shabbat Shalom, peace be with you.

A couple Shabbat resources:

https://ffoz.com/the-sabbath-table-prayer-book-english-transliterated-uhebrew-edition.html

https://ffoz.com/restoration-book.html