“Then he told them, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 2:27-28
In yesterday’s reading in Isaiah, we talked about the Sabbath and how Sabbath principles of rest, worship, and family are still important principles for today. Now, we come to the New Testament and see Jesus repeat this idea. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. These concepts of rest, worship, family, focus, abiding, etc. are vital to who we are as people and we must observe them. Sabbath-keeping is not so much about which day you go to church … that has been established by the word and history as Sunday. Sabbath-keeping is about realizing we need to rest and we need a time every week to just focus on the Lord.
Of course, daily quiet times are important, but there is something about this discipline of taking a day and just focusing on God’s word, focusing on singing and worship and focusing on abiding that makes the difference. I mentioned several reasons in yesterday’s devotion why Sabbath rest is important. It not only reminds us of who we are, but it also reminds us of who God is. One discipline that I have found especially beneficial for me in celebrating the Sabbath is the discipline of Silence and Solitude. I have some introvert tendencies for sure, but for me, it is more than that. I find myself being bombarded by so many messages and so many media outlets during the week, that I need to get alone and just still my mind so I can listen to the Lord.
I feel like we spend too much time in prayer talking, instead of listening. It often takes over an hour of concerted effort to focus on God and to finish praying and silence all the thoughts in my head so I can just listen for Him to speak. I am convicted often that I talk too much and don’t listen enough. Sabbath solitude for me is a time of intense work where my one goal is to be aware of His presence and to hear His voice when He speaks. I am reminded of little Samuel lying in the very holy of holies, next to the ark and being so in tune with God that when He spoke He didn’t know who it was. I am not saying that God speaks out loud to me… but I am saying that there are many times when my prayers are rushed and I say Amen, and amen means I have moved on to something else and am no longer listening. Spending a few hours (for me on Saturday) just trying to be silent in His presence, allows me the opportunity to hear what God is saying to me through His word, or through His Spirit. Sometimes I sense Him speaking to my heart a little louder than at other times, but one thing I know; if I am not intentional and focused my life will remain a one-sided conversation.
