Whether freely chosen, or not, (thanks to “COVID19 and the imposed governmental self-quarantines) most of us have the divine opportunity to observe the Sabbath this weekend. Remember the 10 Commandments? Yeah, “Honor the Sabbath” is #4 but somehow it always gets skipped over (see Exodus 20:8).

I won’t be getting into that old argument of “grace vs. law”, or anything related to that, because frankly, it’s irrelevant. My personal walk with God is very holistic and I refuse to chop biblical truths up into doctrinal arguments. The truth is, obedience is God’s love language (see John 14:15). I’ll let you work the details out with God or perhaps attempt to expand more in a later post.

For now – the point is that honoring the Sabbath is a blessing! It is not a hassle or burden. It was established, by God, during the 7 days when He created the heavens and the earth …for rest.

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” – Genesis 2:1-3

Did God need to rest? No, I don’t think so. So why did He do it then? Well, perhaps as an example to us. Like the 6 days of work God did to create, we now have days of work and should also have at least 1 day of rest. There should be an ebb and flow to life but when we go, go, GO all the time – life becomes unbalanced.

Choosing to rest in God isn’t just about not doing any labor. It’s about placing your cares in Him and leaving them with Him. We can trust Him in all things and Sabbath is an excellent way to practice walking in His peace. It’s an excellent way to put your faith in action – in a tangible way.

How should one correctly observe the Sabbath? I don’t personally get into a bunch of do’s and don’ts.

But here are a few ideas to get you started:

– Spend time with your loved ones.

– Spend time with the Lord (praying, reading the Word, praising Him thru song, dance, etc)

– Take it easy.

– If you’re feeling really it, turn off your phone, computer, etc. for 24 hours) – I DARE YOU!

Honoring the Sabbath is like sending a love letter to God that says, “I love you and I trust you in ALL things.”

That’s it for now, guys! I pray that each one that purposefully dives into honoring the Sabbath, this weekend (and beyond), will receive an incredible blessing! May the love of God be upon you and your household. May the Sabbath peace, of Yeshua, fill your minds. May His Love fill your heart. And may His joy overflow within you.

Shabbat Shalom! – Dr. Karen Michelle “Shelly” Ricci #ShalomDoc