The True Sabbath
When we live from rest, we stop trying to lead—and let Christ guide from within.
Ray Stedman reminds us today that the Sabbath is not primarily about a specific day—it’s about a specific posture. While the Old Testament Sabbath was observed on the seventh day (Saturday), and while modern Christians often associate Sunday with rest and worship, the heart of the Sabbath was never confined to a day. The deeper truth was always about resting in God.
In Colossians 2, Paul explains that the Sabbath was a shadow pointing to a reality fulfilled in Christ. And in Hebrews 4, we’re told plainly what that reality is: we enter God’s rest when we cease from our own works and live from the work Christ has already finished. Sabbath, then, becomes more than a ritual. It becomes a way of life—one marked not by strain or anxiety but by peaceful dependence on the indwelling Christ.
To live in that rest is to no longer see our spiritual lives as something we must labor to construct. Instead, we simply abide in the One who has already completed the work and invites us to participate in it by faith. Sabbath isn’t a break we take from work. It is the ongoing reality of trusting Christ to be our Life.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
Beloved, I did not call you to strive but to rest. My rest is not a pause between efforts but a Person—Christ in you, your hope of glory. The day of Sabbath was a sign, but I am the substance. You are no longer bound to shadows. You belong to Me.
Let your soul settle today. Cease your internal striving to measure up. I have already declared you whole, holy, and complete. The pressure to produce was nailed to the cross. You no longer labor to win My approval—it is already yours. You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the works I prepared in advance, and I will accomplish them through you as you yield in trust.
When you act from rest, you act in Me. When you speak from peace, you speak with My voice. When you choose not to react but instead abide, I am revealed. Rest is not the absence of effort—it is the presence of trust. Enter it today. Remain in it. For you are seated with Me in heavenly places, and I will never call you to earn what has already been given.
(Colossians 2:16–17, Hebrews 4:9–11, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 2:20, John 15:5, Hebrews 10:14, Romans 8:1)
Real-Life Analogy
You’ve probably experienced this: You’re using a GPS on a long road trip. You plug in the destination, and as you drive, the voice calmly offers directions—“In 500 feet, turn left.” But imagine deciding to ignore it, thinking you know a better shortcut. Soon, you’re stuck in traffic or winding through unfamiliar streets. Frustrated, you finally check the screen again, and hear, “Recalculating...”
That’s the difference between living in self-effort and living from rest. When we ignore the indwelling Christ and take back the wheel, life becomes a maze of overthinking and exhaustion. But when we live moment by moment in dependence on Him, there’s a steady peace. Sabbath rest is letting Christ be the One who directs, knowing He’s not just ahead of us—He is the Way within us.
Prayer of Confident Trust
Father, I rest in Your finished work today. I don’t need to prove my worth or press harder to be accepted. I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. That is enough. So I yield every task, every decision, and every encounter to You. Thank You that I don’t have to navigate life in my own wisdom or effort. I trust Your life in me to be my rhythm, my clarity, and my peace. This is my Sabbath—this is my joy. Amen.
Devotional credit: Adapted from Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman, April 25 entry
Photo credit: Image from Unsplash.com