1 QUOTE

"O what a blessing Sabbath is, interposed between the waves of worldly business like the divine path of the Israelites through the sea."

– Samuel Wilberforce

1 NOTE

On New Year’s Eve, I flew home from Krakow, Poland to Los Angeles. God gave me much grace to teach young adults 'How to Master the Bible' and 'How to Finish Well.' Students from 70+ countries attended the missions conference. As I prepared for the 12+ hour flight home, I was eager to tackle my five process items in-flight reflection list. (I really like a good cup of coffee, earplugs and working on airplanes). As I settled into seat 35F, my heart sank when I realized my seat didn’t have a port for my computer charger. I asked the attendant and she hit me with some snark. And then she told me that the USB phone port didn’t hold the charge. So I had that going for me. As I stared out the window, my mind immediately went to the Sabbath.

I did not grow up going to church. The word sabbath always seemed a little creepy to me. It was some weird thing religious people did. I could not have been more wrong. My mind was totally blown when I became a disciple of Jesus and learned that the Sabbath is one of God’s greatest gifts. The definition of Sabbath is a 24-hour period, once a week, where disciples of Jesus to cease from work to rest, worship and enjoy God. I began obeying command number 4 of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:8-11) when I was 24. Thirty years later I confidently testify that keeping Sabbath is a super-power.

After a long nap I woke up over Toronto. The flight path showed another 5 hours. I lowered my brightness. I went into energy saver mode. But my battery was draining. I felt like I was holding a piece of ice in the summer heat. I watched my computer battery drain. But there was no power source. So it is with our lives. The battery of our hearts and minds is constantly being drained. But I have great news today. The Sabbath is our power source. And once a week, we are invited to experience God’s renewing power so we can operate at 100%.

1 QUESTION

So many of us are weighed down by heavy loads. Jesus invites us, “Come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:30). Sabbath is the rest habit that balances our lives. Would you consider making the celebration of weekly Sabbath your habit in 2025?

Until Next Tuesday,

John