Sabbath Rest

12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you ... 16 Therefore, the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31: 12-13, 16-17 ESV)

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Chronic fatigue. Adrenal fatigue. Exhaustion. Sensory overload. Burnout. 

Do any of these words sound familiar?

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As a society, we are inundated with endless to-do lists, expectations that push us to achieve more and greater levels of success (often as defined by our social circles), fear of failure, interpersonal struggles, conflicts, professional pressures, personal or internal critiques, concerns, etc.

I'm sure you get the idea. Perhaps you're caught in the struggle right now, wondering why vacations are needed to recuperate from the vacation.

Or maybe you're one of the people we need to seek out for advice on how to get free from the shackles that keep us tethered to our personal, professional, and societal expectations.

It is not uncommon for us, even devout Christ followers, to be ensnared by these pressures. It's an insidious infection that penetrates our beings at birth. Parents compare how quickly their children progress through stages of development, and then academic growth, followed up by their graduations, college choices and progress, and eventually careers and successes. Employers have been known to set colleagues into situations where they are in competition with one another. Individuals fight to keep up with their friends and families who seem to be navigating life experiences at a quicker pace.

It isn't only our striving to keep up with societal demands that keep our blood pressures elevated and bodies rest-deprived. Many battle through guilt that comes from failed attempts at freedom, broken relationships, seeking acceptance and love but somehow always feeling just shy of the goal. Our minds are burdened with lack, wishing for the day when we finally live the abundant life Jesus promised in Scripture (John 10:10).

While none of these things are inherently wrong, there is a deception and a trap that we as humans tend to fall into: there's no rest for the weary. And we push through the exhaustion to accomplish the next task to please our unrelenting, unforgiving taskmaster.

But if this is true, then we must ask whether the Bible, more specifically--Jesus's words--bears any truth.

"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 11:28-29 ESV).

With these words, Jesus has invited us to a place where striving can cease and we lay our burdens at His feet. His peace and rest are there, waiting to fill us with strength and wholeness. His is the rest that refreshes our souls and breathes new life into our lungs.

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I am tempted to equate Jesus with the Sabbath, as He provides everything the Sabbath rest was created for. While He doesn't claim to be the Sabbath, He tells us He is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5).

Recently, I was reminded of the importance of taking time away, as Jesus did often, and reconnecting with the Lord in a private time of prayer and refreshing. He will strengthen us to complete every day. But He has created a Sabbath rest for us to enjoy and to allow our bodies, minds, and yes our souls, to rest and refresh from the day-to-day. Just be sure to remember that Jesus desires to meet us there in the quiet place.

Jesus is our place of rest. True rest. We don't have to walk this life with all its burdens alone. He is safe. We can be honest with Him. In fact, I believe He wants our honesty instead of our stiff upper lip, grin-and-bear-it declarations that we are "blessed and highly favored" in answer to anyone asking "How are you?"

Of course, we are all blessed and highly favored. But when we are fighting a battle and becoming weary and weak, it's important to ask for help. The other day, as I sat in my little office, I whispered to the Lord, "I can't do this alone. I need You." And a day or two later, I sat in a prayer meeting when two of the Lord's daughters came beside me, saying, "You don't have to walk alone." They had no idea I was in need of an Aaron and Hur--they have no idea the battle/s I've been fighting (Exodus 17:10-13).

That's body ministry.

We need one another as the body of Christ, not for comparison and weighing ourselves in the balance, coming up short; but to build one another up and walk along-side providing a shoulder to lean on in times of need.

When we do this, we will find our community of Christ-followers grow and become irresistible to others looking in.

They will want who we have.

Until next time, I will leave you with this article on Jesus and the Sabbath: How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest? 

ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ©2011 Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.  All rights reserved.

Have a blessed and safe holiday weekend. Karlene J 💝