Joy of Shabbat: Finding Rewards in Sabbath Rest

Who else remembers those summer reading programs at the library when you were a kid? As someone who loves to read, I really didn't need any extra incentive to do so, but add free ice cream cones, mini golf, and baseball tickets to the mix? Heaven! You mean I do something I love and I get a prize?! That's how I feel about Shabbat now. I do something I enjoy and good things are added on top of that.

Shabbat is a break. A time to rest and relax. A pause. It's happy. On top of being obedient to a commandment, your life also gets better. When I first started honoring Shabbat I did so because I felt YHWH was asking me to listen to his instruction. My hope wasn't that I would get something out of it, but I quickly realized I was. Yes, the day off is wonderful, but it overflows to the rest of the week. Hectic work weeks were no longer overwhelming. My energy levels went up and I didn't have to drag through busy months exhausted. I had more joy being able to look ahead to a break. Life didn't feel like endless work. Shabbat has brought more peace than I know how to describe.

Now I know many of you are thinking - I'm way too busy to fit a day off into my life. That's what I thought too. But you will be more productive and have more joy in your life from honoring this commandment.

Shabbat is for you if...

-You feel like you don't have time for it.

-You want to honor our Creator's commandments.

-You've been exhausted and overwhelmed.

-Life is busy.

-You're struggling to find joy.

-You want to have a better relationship with YHWH.

-You want to build strong family time.

-You feel like you're constantly working but don't get enough done.
-Seventh day rest seems like legalism.
-Strengthening your faith sounds like a good idea.

-You want more peace in your life.

When I asked if readers found Shabbat rewarding, the answer was a wholehearted, "YES!" Not that we do it for the rewards of course, but it is the Deuteronomy 28 promise of, "If you keep my commands I will bless you," literally fulfilled. So many unique perspectives were mentioned that I had to share.

How has Shabbat been rewarding for you?

"It's wonderful to have a guilt free rest every six days."

"I have learned more about YHWH in the last three years [while keeping Shabbat] than I have my whole life attending church. Same with my kids. It has brought us closer as a family. There is so much freedom and blessing from keeping Shabbat."

"It's not only a rest from working, but the only day of the week when I am surrounded by other believers."

"I am a hairdresser. I prayed about stopping working on Sabbath, YHWH said if I would remember the Sabbath he would bless my work days. He has, and I have work to give away."

"I am finding greater meaning and significance."

"His shalom has increased in our home and lives."

"The physical and spiritual aspects are healing and restoring."

"I feel closer to YHWH and there is more peace in our home."

"I find it so rewarding. One of the greatest gifts that I didn't expect was how much more I could accomplish on Sunday after truly resting from the week."

"It gives us something wonderful to look forward to each week!"

"It is like getting ready to have a special guest come to your house and everything is special. I like that."

"My faith has grown so much! I used to always wonder if I was doing what God wanted, and now I know I am!"

"It is a time set aside that brings peace to my soul. It allows me to focus on Yah. I've learned so much truth, and enjoyed good fellowship time."

"Having a time to learn more about YHWH and his ways has lead me to a closer relationship with Yahusha."

"Of course. Rest and peace is a blessing."

"There's added peace in my life. I feel refreshed and more focused."

"We are excited for sundown on Friday. There is an air of excitement, of an expectation of rest and family time. Undivided time and extra study and just resting in Him. We have started a few family traditions surround it and that feels warm and inviting. I've learned we trust Father and He truly sustains us and gives us a joy and peace in His ways."

"Before observing I would work seven days a week, at my job and at home. I would rest only when I found time. Now, I make time to rest. I make time to reflect. I make time to study and fellowship with my family and others. Observing Shabbat has improved my health physically, emotionally, and spiritually."

"I've greatly noticed the improvement in our time spent together as a family. The days leading up to Shabbat seem to have more meaning, and our bodies and minds get the rest they need."

"I am becoming better at raising my children to follow Yah!"

"It re-energizes me for the week ahead and gives me to time to relax and enjoy myself without a worry in the world."

"It's the only day I can just rest and do Bible study without interruption. There are too many rewards to even name, but I am so much happier (like the Bible promises!), way less stressed during the week, and I get so much more Bible study done! Keeping Shabbat has been one of the best decisions I've ever made."

"During my studying abroad I really had to fight to keep Shabbat, but in the end it was so rewarding! I ended up leading a small group of other young women into the Shabbat tradition and that group became the hart of my community. I think one of the greatest rewards has been keeping Shabbat with my family, in our very busy and diverse lives having the same day of rest has given us more uninterrupted time together."

"Since I started taking care of my physical and spiritual self by resting on Shabbat I don't get sick as often or feel like I'm fighting something off. I feel so much healthier!"

"Peace. Rest. Closeness with family and with Yah. Evidence of my growth - set apartness is reality now. It's a special time to study and be with Him in His word."

"[Reading the Torah portion on Shabbat] I am surprisingly comforted by the familiarity I feel with the stories and with the people whose lives are laid open for us to see."

"I can get through crazy work weeks without breaking down because I know rest is coming soon!"

"It gives me a break from my work week and from having to worry about anything, and it's a day of worship!"

"I always know that there is one day each week that we slow down on purpose, and it blesses us to slowly enjoy our day."

"Putting aside work, housework, and other activities for the day allows me to purposefully connect with YHWH."

"We are more rested for the week. There is a real shalom around it. I am so ready to start working again on Sunday. I look forward to resting and relaxing, with no obligation to do anything on Sabbath. When we started obeying the command to keep Sabbath, more truth was revealed to us."

"It gives me a definitive window of time to refresh mentally, physically, and spiritually and it sets me apart from the world."

"It is a frequent conversation piece. My employer has scheduled this year's annual company party on a Shabbat. I will have opportunities to share the truth about YHWH when people ask why I won't be attending."

"I feel closer to YHWH when I am doing His will. Our family is closer and more relaxed. My marriage has bonded stronger."

"It is a wonderful time of refreshing our spirits and focusing on intimacy with YHWH and each other. Acknowledging His set apart day has deepened our connection with and commitment to Him. Making it a priority has opened up new channels of provision and favor in our lives, too."

If you keep Shabbat, how has it benefited you?

Shabbat Shalom Printable

I wanted to make a printable as a fun way to celebrate Shabbat, YHWH's set apart day. No matter what season of life you are in or how many things you are juggling, Shabbat is a day for shalom. Print it off and set it out in your home to remind yourself of YHWH's peace.

Click here to download my Shabbat Shalom printable. It's free for your personal use. I hope you like it!

Good Mitzvoth

Good mitzvoth bring glory, honor, and peace to those that do them. Romans 2:10 tells us that.

"Tifereth, honor, and shalom, to every man that does tov mitzvoth, to the Yahudi first, and also to the Greek and Aramean."

Or in more simple English: "Glory, honor, and peace, to everyone that does good mitzvoth, to the Jew first, and also to the Northern Tribes and the foreigners grafted in."

We should all do good mitzvoth. 

What is a mitzvoth? Mitzvoth is usually translated as "works" but that is an incomplete picture of the word.

Mitzvoth = YHWH's Commandments, or Man's Obedient Deeds, or Obedient Works of Torah Done in Submisison and Willingness.

This is a New Testament verse telling us that their is honor in keeping YHWH's commands that are found in the Torah.

This is a verse saying that obedience to YHWH's instructions gives us peace.

Setting apart Shabbat is honorable.

Honoring your parents will give you peace.

Having no gods but YHWH brings glory.

Not coveting your neighbor's possessions is peaceful.

You will be honored for not stealing.

While many believe that Yahusha "set us free from the law," most of us wouldn't say there's not room for more shalom in our lives. Obedience to YHWH's commandments is not a question of salvation but of how we want to live. He desires all of us to walk honorably in his glory with peace.

Keeping Shabbat is Not Too Hard

Last Shabbat was a disaster. There was an emergency at my husband's job so he needed to work on Shabbat for the first time in years. Saturday morning, I loaded up my car to head to congregation only to discover that it wouldn't start. With no option other than staying home, I went back inside and figured I could have a peaceful day of Torah study by myself. As soon as I sat down to read a tractor started to plow the field adjacent to our yard. Once he was done someone down the road decided it would be a great time to shoot guns for two hours. Needless to say I did not have the serene peaceful day of rest that I prefer Shabbat to be.

I was recounting my frustration to a friend of mine who is from a Jewish family, though she doesn't practice. Her response was, "When you try and keep Shabbat you learn really fast that it can't be done because we have so much to do. In ancient times they didn't have anything to do so it was easy for them to keep Shabbat so that was command was just for back then and not now."

How incredibly sad.

There is not a single Scripture that speaks against honoring Shabbat. The Bible does not teach that if we have a busy schedule we are free to neglect this command. There are no instances of Yahusha or his disciples dishonoring Shabbat. We are instructed to do no work on it, to set it apart as holy, and YHWH says it is a sign between him and us. 

He also says this, "The mitzvah which I command you is not hidden from you, it is not far off. It is not in the heavens that you should wonder who will bring it to you. Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, 'Who shall go and bring the Word to us that we may hear and do it?' But the Word is very near to you. It is in your mouth, and in your heart, and in your hand, that you may do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

He says, "My commands are not too hard for you."

Shabbat is not convenient in today's Western culture. I get that. Society says that the Sabbath is for anything other than rest and worship. Need to do yard work? Saturday is the day for that. Have errands to run? Do them Saturday morning. Football and basketball games happen during this time. Almost all weddings are Saturday afternoon. It's the time of the week when friends want to hang out. A few stores I go to offer special deals that are only available Saturdays. I don't think this is a coincidence. Why should we be surprised that the enemy has worked so hard to corrupt this set apart day and to take it's benefits from us?

YHWH knew what our culture would be like, yet still he said, Guard my Shabbats.

This instruction was meant for us. There are no verses that contradict this. And while, yes we live in a busy day and age, so did the ancient Israelites. Shabbat wasn't convenient back then either. You think your life is busy? Imagine making dinner and needing to chop wood for the fire, slaughter an animal, and grow the vegetables. Imagine having to haul water home to drink and do the washing in. During Biblical times clothes were handmade, shoes were too. Copies of the Torah had to be done by hand. There were no matches to start fires. Wheat had to be grown, harvested, threshed, and ground into flour by hand. The Proverbs 31 woman? She had a lot to do. And I think that's exactly why YHWH commanded a day of rest. He knows how much we need it.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 "Look! I am presenting you today with life and good and also death and evil -- in that I am ordering you today to love YHWH your Elohim, to follow his ways, and to obey his mitzvot, regulations, and rulings; for if you do, you will live and increase your numbers; and YHWH your Elohim will bless you."

Shabbat may not be convenient but it is worth it.

Shabbat Simcha

Isaiah 56:2: Happy is the person who does this and grasps this, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing evil.

YHWH's Shabbat was created as a day of rest and a day of happiness.

Rest and happiness. Don't those go together? Don't we look forwards to breaks and vacations? Shabbat is peace for our bodies and souls. YHWH knew before creation the importance of rest for our health and happiness. Shouldn't we trust Him enough to rest on this day so that He will fill us with joy? Shabbat is not a day of complex rules; it is not hard to keep. It is a day to be joyful! At sundown tonight Shabbat starts; keep it and you will find joy and peace. Simcha and shalom.