Posted on September 5, 2021 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Ancient Paths: Sabbath/Rest
By Shelly Huston
I was working a 70 hour job that I loved, on the church leadership, worship and prayer teams, the president of a state organization and raising two sons. I was also carrying 20 hours at the university. A person of commitment and action. I remember God’s great grace and provision in this very hectic season. He always found a way for me to take Sabbath.
I recall one morning arriving in the assigned parking spot at the university exactly 6 minutes early. Six minutes before I needed to run up 4 flights of stairs and shine.
I still remember the 6 minute timer I set on my ‘beeper.’ And took a sabbath rest. Was it a nap? Well, I must say, my body did find rest but more important I found stillness, healing, a place in time to reset my path, clock and heart.
Today, Pastor Tom asked us to start where we are. Whether that’s 6 minutes or 6 hours. The invitation and challenge we are receiving is good for your spirit, but also a healthy rhythm for your mind and emotions.
Scripture indicates that God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the morning. Maybe you take a stride with Him in the early hours of the morning, with worship music and a cup of coffee, before your crew gets up and storms the castle. Or perhaps, like me, it’s at the end of the day, after you’ve restored a kingdom, fought a giant and saved a princess in distress.
What works for you? The important thing is to find your rhythm…and then to take it, absorb it, do it regularly. Fight for it if you have too. Put it on your iPhone, in your journal or your slate tablet. If you can walk in rest and sabbath rhythms, ultimately daily, it will refresh you, restore you and rejuvenate you inside and out.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Do you find it difficult to find rest? Not just sleep, but finding a moment or perhaps a season for your body, soul and spirit to cease from striving. Finding physical, mental and spiritual rest is perhaps one of the biggest assignments God can ask of a doer like myself. I’m good at doing – being, however, is a greater challenge. How can we take a break from our overachieving ways, at least for an hour, or two, or a day? Find the rhythm of rest that God is providing, and you too may find that it is much easier and lighter if you are yoked to someone stronger than yourself.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Do you remember those in your life that have stood beside you, fought beside you, worked alongside you, and shared their faith with you? Paul does, even while in chains and under house arres, he is urging those he loves to stand fast in the Lord. Is God encouraging you to stand fast in an area, and if so, what would it be? An area you need to persevere in, to remain stationary and unmovable in? Is it in your marriage? Is it an area of parenting? Is it regarding a request that you’ve launched into the heavens and still waiting for a breakthrough? Is God telling you not to waver, or is He asking you to help a friend stand firm? To help your ‘fellow workers’ who you’ve labored with, to stand fast in an area they might be losing ground in?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Rejoice, let your gentleness be known to all men, and be anxious for nothing! Wow! Easy breezy, right? How do we let our gentleness be known in our daily lives? How can we approach our concerns for others with gentle speech and action? Do we show care and respect for others in the way we act or speak? Do we show honor and respect when communicating with others, or possibly strive to present our case without regard for those we are speaking to? And finally, be anxious for nothing. Many of us are anxious about almost everything. Anxious about money, health, jobs, futures. What anxieties interfere with finding peace in your life? If anxiety is simply the result of uncertainty, let’s call to mind what we are certain about. Do you trust God’s plan in your life with absolute certainty? How can we substitute prayer/trust for worry?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: “… whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” To meditate means to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time. Have you ever tried to set your mind, like the radio stations in a car? Do you have favorite ‘buttons/stations” to return to that lower your anxiety and possibly help you chill? There are over 36 scriptures that challenge us to ‘set our minds.’ Perhaps it’s time for you to change the station. Are you ready to focus your mind on that which is noble, just, lovely and good, virtuous or praiseworthy? That’s the station we want to tune in to.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: When those around us find opportunities to sow care, compassion and even support in our lives, it is celebrated. However, Paul is also teaching us that God can sustain us when those actions are absent in our lives. To remain content when there is abundance, and to remain content when there is a season of lack. In this scripture the Philippians did the right thing, their actions were tangible in a time of great need. Has God strengthened you in seasons where support was on the shorter side? Has God sustained you when others brought discouragement? Have you, too, learned to do all things through Christ who strengthens you?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: When believers sacrifice for one another, support one another and encourage one other, whether it’s through financial gifts, or words of encouragement, not only does it bring honor to God, it produces fruit that lasts, in us as individuals and in our community.
Do you know someone that needs support, encouragement or a tangible gift? How can you invest your time, energy and resources in those around you that are in need? How can you make a positive impact in the lives of those around you, even if no one else is?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources).
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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