Real Meaning of Sabbath
What is Sabbath? It means REST!!!!! Yes, REST!!! And it is biblical, for God made heavens and earth and all that is in it and rested on the 7th day (Gen 2:1-2). Need a break? Amen, you should. Even God takes a break from his work.
Sabbath is incorporated in the midst of work, and God invites us to take occasional breaks so that we have time for Him. Indeed, God did not lie on bed the entire Sabbath but spend the day enjoying what he had made, and he saw that everything was good. For the busy and overworked people, I want you to know that "in six days you shall do all your work, but the 7th day is to be a Sabbath unto the Lord" (Ex 20:8). God wants you to re-enter his rest and look at what you have done from his perspective. For those who have too much free time, I urge you to reconsider Ex 20:8. Out of the whole week 6/7 of the time should still be spent constructively and not idling, because if "a man will not work, he shall not eat." God's real intention is for us to maximise our time and doing it all for the purpose of worship.
Here are some comments on the Sabbath which I find to be very true and applicable:
1. Sabbath is the resting of our hearts and souls.
2. Sabbath is creating unhurried time & space to distance ourselves from the frenzy of our own activities so we can see what God has done & is doing.
3. Sabbath-keeping is quieting our noisy hearts so that we can hear the still small voice of our Lord. It is uprooting the sense of self-importance so that we can discern the presence of Christ.
4. Sabbath-keeping is separating ourselves from the people who are clinging to us, from the routines to which we cling to for our identity, & surrendering them all up to God afresh.
5. Sabbath-keeping is setting aside time to put things back in place.
I want to take this opportunity to say that the act of putting everything aside and seeking God during cell and service is considered Sabbath. Sabbath is coming back to the heart of worship. God wants us to worship in SPirit and in Truth. And the very fact that Sabbath is practiced in the middle of frenzy requires faith. It is not easy to withdraw from busy-ness and fast-paced-ness when there is much work to be done. So it takes faith to observe Sabbath. It takes faith to believe that as we surrender everything to God afresh, he will reveal the important things to us. So learn to observe the Sabbath. God blessed and created it for us.
A few things you can begin considering in view of the Sabbath year are:
1. How can I develop myself spiritually, physically, socially and mentally?
2. What areas of my life must I deal with and put in place?
3. What can I do to become a better testimony wherever God has placed me?
4. WHo are my spiritual bros and sis and relatives in this network?
Let's resolve to make 2008 the year of rest and not one of restlessness.
-roar
