Hey Church!
We, as a staff, have been doing these blogs on Sabbath, and I wanted to do one on delighting in the Sabbath. The idea of the Sabbath being a delight seems hard for us, as Americans, to understand. Taking a day off once a week to rest and do things we like to do… sounds like something we have to pay for.
But it’s the truth! The Lord wants us to delight and enjoy life. He wants us to enjoy the gift of life He has given us. Think of the first Sabbath in Genesis 2. After the Lord has created all things, He stops to delight and enjoy what He calls “good.” In some sense, the Lord takes time to play with and experience what He has created.
The Lord wanted the Israelites to enjoy it so much that He commanded them to hold a Sabbath multiple times in the Old Testament. Exodus 20, Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 5, and so on. It seems, when we look at Sabbath in scripture, we see the Lord saying, “Here, I have given you the gift of life and creation. Go enjoy it!” In a way, it’s like a father telling his children to go play.
We should listen to the Lord in this. We should thank Him for the gift and then go enjoy the gift. There is no catch here. It’s not something we have to pay for. We get to do it and enjoy it. So make a list of things you want to enjoy in God’s creation and go delight in what He has given you. Have regular dinners with your family. Go to a game. Take a hike in the mountains. Go live and delight in the life God has given you.
-Pastor Casey