Summer of Depth Devotional Day 48

Today is Day 48 of our Summer of Depth Devotional and Reading Plan.

Yesterday, Pastor Linsdey talked about Sabbath. Today, we start practicing what we heard. One of the questions from Sunday was simple: Jesus, what is waiting for me at Your pace? Maybe the answer is more than rest. Maybe there is joy, delight, grace, and a deeper awareness of God's goodness waiting for us when we finally learn to stop.

Let's dive deep into His Word to find out what He’s saying.

Before anything else, slow down and reread the passage from Sunday: Genesis 1:27-2:3.

There is something fascinating about the first Sabbath in Scripture: God wasn't tired.

Genesis says God finished His work, looked at everything He had made, and called it "very good." Then He rested. The Hebrew idea behind Sabbath, shavat, means to cease or stop. God didn't stop because He had nothing left. He stopped because He knew His work was complete.

Think about how different that is from the way many of us stop. We stop when we're exhausted. When the emails are finally answered. When everyone else is taken care of. Sometimes we don't really stop at all. We just trade work for scrolling, noise, or distraction.

But the first Sabbath gives us another picture. God stops, and there is space to behold what is good.

There will always be something else we could do. Another task. Another person to help. Another problem to solve. But we are limited people, and Scripture never treats that as a defect. We need sleep. We can only be in one place at a time. We cannot please everyone or accomplish everything. Even the unlimited God chose to stop.

And when we embrace those limits, we make room to notice. To enjoy a meal. To laugh with people we love. To worship. To look back and recognize where God was present and say with Him, "There was goodness here."

Sabbath also reminds us that we are not our own saviors. Some of us keep working internally long after the workday ends, trying to be good enough, make up for failure, or prove to God that we belong.

Jesus invites us to cease there too. Our place with Him was never something we could earn. His grace is something we receive.

Walking at the pace of Jesus gives us room to receive the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, and the joy and delight of Jesus.

Practice:

Choose a block of time to actually Sabbath this week. Stop your normal work and ask:

What do I need to stop carrying?

What would help me enjoy God and His goodness today?

Then make room for it.