Daily Devotions

As we leave June and move on to July, a time when traditionally folk contemplate summer holidays, we turn to looking at what the Bible says about times of rest, recuperation and recreation. The Bible often speaks of such times as Sabbath. In  (The Inclusive Bible) we read “On the seventh day God had finished all the work of creation, and so, on that seventh day, God rested. God blessed the seventh day and called it sacred, because on it God rested from all the work of creation.”

Mark Buchanan, in his book, 'The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath' writes, “J. R. R. Tolkien gives one of the most entrancing descriptions of the true nature of Sabbath. In book 1 of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he describes a time of rest and healing in the house of Elrond in Rivendell. The hobbits, along with Strider, their guide, have made a dangerous, almost fatal journey to this place. They will soon have to make an even more dangerous, almost certainly fatal journey away from this place. 

But in the meantime, this: For awhile the hobbits continued to talk and think of the past journey and of the perils that lay ahead; but such was the virtue of the land of Rivendell that soon all fear and anxiety was lifted from their minds. The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song. The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have power over the present. That’s Sabbath.”

Often, we make the mistake that Sabbath is limited to the one day a week outlined in our Genesis verse. The Hebrew word for Sabbath, Shabbat (שַׁבָּת), means "to cease" or "to rest," both as a verb and as a noun. So Sabbath rest, in the context of Jewish and Christian traditions, refers to a dedicated time for rest and worship. I would wish to add that Sabbath should also act upon the renewal of who we are as a disciple of Jesus.

Lord, we ask for your guidance in prioritising rest, not just as a break from labor, but as a time to reconnect with you, to reflect on your gifts, and to renew our spirits. Help us to see rest as a sign of trust in your provision and a time to nurture our souls. May we learn to find joy and peace in the Sabbath, setting it apart as a holy day, free from the demands of daily work and focused on building deeper relationships with you and our families. Amen