Tearfund Lent Devotional Day 31

Reclaiming the Sabbath

‘Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.’ (Exodus 20:9-10, NIV)

My struggle with a Sabbath is not completing everything I feel needs to be done – all of it specifically by me of course – on time. Yet God, who is infinite and inexhaustible, commands us to stop. Even if the work isn’t done.

But what if we don’t finish because our task list is longer than God intended? How can we be attentive to his call on us for the week ahead so that our to-do list is a joint one with him? How do we learn to lean into God’s heart to focus on tasks that he prioritises, rather than appointing ourselves to do more than was ever required of us? Would rest come easier?

God gave us the Sabbath to remind us that our value does not derive from our work. We are not production machines. We are human beings, not human doings. Perhaps, with the busyness that often comes with church on a Sunday, we have lost sight of that.

Lord, who are we to know better than you what needs to be completed? Help us to be open to your assignment for the week ahead. Your nudging on what needs to be prioritised. Your permission on what can wait. Your help to trust fully, making time for you our top priority. Amen.

Jen Clark

Jen works in Tearfund’s Scotland Team