It says here that God rested. God, the creator of the universe, made the conscious decision to stop after six days of creating. Not only that, He declared the seventh day holy. When I read the word holy, it is sometimes helpful for me to think of the phrase “set apart.” The seventh day is a day that God, from the beginning of time, amidst the miracle and majesty of His creation, purposely set apart to rest and enjoy what He made.
I have a tendency to focus on the future. This can have some positive implications, but there are also some negative ones. One of these negative implications is that when I have completed a task, whether long and laborious or short and simple, I immediately move on to whatever the next task should be.
A few years ago, my husband and I were able to build a small farmhouse for our family. Josh, my husband, built this house almost entirely on his own—from the foundation to the framing to the electrical and plumbing. I also contributed by choosing many of the design and interior details. We worked hard on this project for a little over a year. When the home finally came together and we were able to move in, instead of enjoying the home, praising my husband for his hard work, and inviting friends and family over to share in our blessing, I almost immediately started planning and discussing my hopes for the land around us. I wanted landscaping, fencing, an orchard, a garden, a treehouse for the kids. I moved on very quickly.
As you would probably expect, Josh was hurt when I jumped to what else was left to do. The whole purpose of this new home was for our family to have a place to dwell and be together, and I did not take a moment to enjoy what we had built together.
I would imagine that God might feel similarly when a rhythm of rest is not built into our lives. Sabbath allows our hearts and minds to look up from the work in front of us and see what God is doing in our midst. It is a time of refocus, a reorienting of perceptions and perspectives. It is holy, set apart. God wants to dwell with us in His creation, and He invites us to take a moment to look around and see His goodness in what He made.
What does God want you to notice in your current season of life? Awareness of His presence and goodness might be the first step needed to move toward the spiritual practice of Sabbath.