As you may have noticed since my last post, I’ve not written so much since God told me to take a day off. But I've learned a lot about Sabbath rest.
We spent some time away over the summer, on holiday to North Wales. But it was overshadowed by the death of my mother-in-law.
Our holiday gave us time to reflect before we got into the difficult task of clearing her house, with all its memories.
During this time I was reading Exodus and God spoke to me powerfully about Sabbath. In part, he has led me to this, a short “thought for the season” which I may continue later.
"...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 animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." (Exodus 20:10)
Sabbath Rest Is A Serious Business
As I read Exodus, I was struck by 2 things:
- The number of times sabbath is mentioned: 12 times in Exodus alone.
- The sheer force God puts behind the words “you shall not do any work”.
The Lord was speaking through Moses to his people and was absolutely insistent that they:
Ultimately, the Lord showed me that we rest because he rests. He takes it seriously, so why don’t I?
My Personal Sabbath Rest
I realised that God wants me to find rest because I have struggled to do so before.
By failing to make Sabbath a cornerstone of my ministry, I was caught up in the details and turned it into a performance issue! I placed my own pre-conceived ideas on my business, rather than seeking God’s presence at every stage.
I also failed, sometimes spectacularly, to allow time for rest after big events in my business. Whether it was an online launch or a day-long prophecy school, I kept assuming that I could get straight on to the next thing.
Each time, I paid the price by losing creative energy and focus - often for a couple of weeks at a time - and couldn’t understand what on earth was happening to me.
As Gerald Coates once said, “We pray for things, we forget what we prayed for and then we wonder why things turned out the way they did”.
I discovered that it's not just about stopping on Sundays. It’s also about taking the spirit of Sabbath into my work days, too.
Sabbath is that uncluttered time and space in which we can distance ourselves from our own activities enough to see what God is doing. - Eugene Peterson
Your Personal Sabbath Rest
We’re coming out of a time where many of us have had rest forced upon us.
Everyone has been affected in some way. Maybe you were put on furlough or lost your job entirely. Or perhaps you were unable to connect with your friends or relatives.
Many people say they want to do things differently now.
As lockdown eases and we approach a new season, are we itching to go back to our busy lives and “get things done”? How seriously will we keep the Sabbath, going forward?
Your Turn
How will you make space for Sabbath on Sundays and in the rhythm of your everyday life?
Let Us Know Your Answer In The Comments Area, Below.
Dear Tim
The Comment about my self is soo realy the Lord never lies it is soo true i failed to respect Sabbath I’m always wanting to finish everything at the same day THANKYOU for this message indeed really help me a lot
From Nomvuyo
You’re welcome!
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
Tim
Thank you for the reminder Prophet/Seer Tim.
I needed it.
You’re welcome, so did I!