The formation of the Sabbath rest began in Genesis 2:2: “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.”
Was God tired? I don’t see any reason to believe that Almighty God was tired – ever!
But God has a deeper meaning for our lives in His setting the example of us taking a Sabbath rest.
The original word in Hebrew is “sabat”, which means to stop work. It conveys the concept that we are to cease the activities that we do throughout normal life so that we can focus on God.
Why do we need to focus on God through a Sabbath rest? It is necessary because life’s activities require focus and attention. But God, being our great Provider and Redeemer, wants to be certain that we recognize Him as our Provider, and not fall into the trap of thinking that we are the source of our provision in life. When we fail to recognize God as our Provider, we start to slip away from Him, and that can be spiritually dangerous.
What does God provide for us? He provides everything we need for our earthly and eternal existence. He may not be the one who builds our homes, but He is the One who equips tradesmen, architects, and everyone else who has a part in constructing a house. He gives the wisdom and knowledge to do all that is necessary.
A Sabbath rest helps us to recenter our thoughts on our great Creator God!
If this were not significant in our relationship with God, He would not have included it in His foundational ten commandments: Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
The Sabbath also points to Jesus. He is our Sabbath rest. In Him we find who we truly are meant to be. In Jesus we find fulfillment. In Jesus we find we can cease from striving, and rest in His providing. He secured our eternal reconciliation with our Father God!
Jesus makes us acceptable to God. We can do absolutely nothing to earn reconciliation with the Father. Only through Jesus can we find the true Sabbath rest we yearn for.
When Jesus finished His work on the cross, resurrected and ascended, He rested next to the Father on His throne. Hebrews 10:12 states: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus had no more work to do to accomplish our atonement. This is why everyone who accepts Jesus’ offer of salvation can also find true rest in Him. No more striving to please God. But God looks for us to serve Him, not so that we earn His love, but so others will know Him personally and experience eternal rest with Him through Jesus.
Remember what Jesus taught about the Sabbath in Matthew 12:8: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” In Mark 2:27 He gives us the correct perspective on the Sabbath, which reveals the gift of Sabbath rest: “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
The true Sabbath rest is a gift from God. Our world has lost the value of resting and ceasing from striving. The world influences us to want more, to want better, to not be satisfied until we reach some sort of pinnacle. However, that pursuit of satisfaction can only come in Christ?
The wealthy, who don’t have God’s perspective, just keep striving for more. They rarely enjoy what they have because they think they’ve gained their wealth through their own ingenuity.
I think of the phrase – “he’s a self-made man”. That is a lie. God gave him life. God is the only reason anyone has worldly success. Worldly success seems to me to be a test. Will it cause someone to rest in God, or to exalt oneself. It reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the rich young ruler:
Matthew 19:16-22: “And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]—God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. He said to Him, What sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack? Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, [b]have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions.” Amplified Version
The ruler’s heart was held by his riches, and his thought that he was the source of those riches.
We cannot find true rest for our souls until we acknowledge that God is at the heart of everything in our lives.
Only in Jesus can we find the true Sabbath rest. In Him we find rest because He did the work to secure our reconciliation with our Creator God. It is peace at its fullest. A peace we cannot earn. A peace we don’t deserve. But God’s mercy and grace covers us.
God runs the world!
God made creation for us to enjoy Him and to find rest in His Son, Jesus!
God equips – in all ways!
God wants us to rest in Him. Jesus can help reorient our lives to His ways. His ways are best for us!
Will you take time to have Sabbath rest in Jesus? If He is not yet your Lord and Savior, may you take that step to confess your need for His forgiveness and cleansing from your sinful ways, and find true rest in Him.
Please write me about how you find taking a Sabbath rest has been beneficial in your life. You can write to me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!
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Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.