"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of you animals, not any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand an an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." (Dueteronomy 5:12-15 NIV)
More and more I’m convinced of the critical nature of the Sabbath practice. Sabbath gives our bodies, minds and souls time to rest and maybe, even, a chance to heal.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I had a dental procedure on Friday. I have temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) so the two and half hours in the chair, propped open with a bite block resulted in a very sore jaw on Saturday. It was okay, I sabbathed: lingering over scripture, spending a few hours in nature and reading away most of the afternoon. I was amazed at how much better my face was feeling by the end of the day. It made me wonder how much healing (physically, emotionally and spiritually) we are missing out on due to our modern obstinance with the Sabbath principle.
We wound up receiving a tremendous amount of rain that evening. Our phones pinged with flood watch notifications and we could hear the water sheeting off our metal roof. But by mid-day Sunday, it was a sunny 65. I seized the moment went for a brisk scoot, stopping at a local park for reflection. There’s a footbridge there, perched over a run-off ditch. Even though the rain had roared through just the night before, it stood strangely still. I could see straight to the bottom: all the bent-over growth and debris that didn’t belong there. It was in that moment, the Lord pressed in my spirit.
“Stillness gives us opportunity to assess what is going on underneath the current of our life.”
My mouth dropped open. Just twelve hours prior that ditch had been a raging river. But now it stood still and I could see the whole mess laid bare; no secrets. Sabbath is an emptying of the ravine, isn’t it? We live in the rushing current of life, but if we’ll take the seventh day to sit still, the Lord will drain away the run-off and reveal what’s really going on.
Later that night I nestled in with The Chosen. In this particular episode, Jesus was preparing to send out His twelve disciples. He had instructed them to pack light: no bag, spare tunic, staff or sandals. They objected, of course, and His response pricked my heart.
“On this journey, at least, I want you to learn what it means
to fully rely on Your Father in heaven.”
In our wilderness journey, Sabbath is one of the ways we practice reliance. One day a week, the Lord asks us to slow down long enough to see what’s happening under the surface. In these hours of quiet companionship, we are reminded again that He is enough. In that same time and space, He helps us sort through the unseen obstructions that hinder our heart’s obedience. He helps us identify and discard the debris that accumulates under the flow of daily life. We experience healing when we submit to His command to rest. When the day is done, and we return to pace, we find new capacity – we’ve been made a little more into His image and a whole lot more reliant.
It’s notable that Jesus took a lot of flack for healing on the Sabbath. Fourteen times in scripture, He’s hounded for alleviating pain and putting broken people back together on the prescribed day of rest. Such repetition feels prescriptive, not descriptive. Sabbath may be His preferred day to heal, perhaps even what He meant when he said Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) When we fail to Sabbath, we miss the opportunity to experience the wholeness He longs to provide.
"Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God." (Ezekiel 20:20 NIV)
Lord, please forgive us for rushing past Sabbath. We too easily believe the world can’t rush on without us. Give us courage to take You at Your command. Help us stop on the seventh day, desiring Your presence and experiencing Your healing. Please meet with us in these quiet moments. Restore us as we rest in You. Amen.
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