Space to Exhale…
Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord, I am weary, and I need Your rest. Teach me to guard the Sabbath, to step away from distractions, and to preserve space for You. Show me how to trade my striving for Your calm expectation. Help me to trust You with my next step, knowing where my strength ends, Your will begins. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Ponder:
Light: “What’s your favorite way to rest when you finally get a free hour?”
Reflective: “When you hear the word ‘Sabbath,’ what comes to mind first—rule, tradition, or gift?”
Scripture Focus:
Isaiah 58:13–14 – “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD.”
Matthew 11:28–30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Devotion:
Rest. The very word sounds wonderful, yet so often it feels impossible. Even when my body is still, my mind races—family needs, home demands, work projects, and endless to-do lists swirl constantly. But Scripture makes it clear: God calls us to pause, to honor the Sabbath, to fiercely guard one day as holy, not just for Him but for us. It’s a day meant for preservation as much as observation—a day to rediscover joy in the Lord, to breathe in His rhythm, and to exhale the clutter that builds up in our souls.
Exodus 20:8-10 AMP – “Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God). 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest dedicated] to the Lord your God; on that day you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock or the temporary resident (foreigner) who stays within your [city] gates.”
This rest, though, isn’t just about stopping activity. It’s about exchanging exhaustion for expectation. Jesus invites us to come to Him when we’re weary—not merely to collapse, but to receive anapauo (ana-pow-oh) rest, a calm and patient trust in His direction. Lord knows, there is never a dull moment in my life. I often long for clear answers, a loud voice from heaven telling me exactly what to do. But more often, Jesus simply says: “Take My yoke and learn from Me. Take the next step with Me.”
Matthew 11:28–30 AMP – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
Jesus deepens this invitation by promising anapauo rest—calm, patient expectation. This kind of rest isn’t just about physical stillness, but about trust. It’s shifting from self-reliance to dependence on Him. True rest is not passive; it’s an intentional choice to trust. It means preserving space to breathe, clearing away the mental clutter, and asking God for the next faithful step—not the whole path, just the step in front of us. That is where our strength ends and His will begins.
The Sabbath is where these truths meet. As we pause, we remember that life isn’t about running on our own strength. We shift from striving in “I” statements—I don’t know what to do, I’m worn out, I’ve tried everything—to resting in the great I AM, the One who carries the burdens we cannot. One day a week, we step out of the chaos to let God direct the rhythm, to hear His voice more clearly, and to be reminded that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Isaiah 58:13–14 TPT – “If you stop pursuing your own desires on my holy day, and refrain from disregarding the Sabbath, if you call then Sabbath a delightful pleasure, and YAHWEH’s holy day honorable, if you honor it properly by not chasing your olwnn desires, serving your own interests, and speaking empty words, then you will find the joyous bliss that comes from serving YAHWEH. And it will cause you to prosper and be carried triumphantly over the high places of the land. You will enjoy the heritage of Jacob, your ancestor.” Certainly the mouth of YAHWEH has spoken it!
Here, Isaiah reminds us that the Sabbath is not just about rules—it’s about delight. God commands us to preserve a space in our week to remember Him, to release our striving, and to rediscover joy in His presence.
When we observe and preserve the Sabbath, we allow God to reset our souls, clear the clutter from our minds, and realign us with His purposes. True rest is an act of trust—choosing God’s rhythm over our own.
So today, I want to be both an observer and a preserver of the Sabbath. To pause not just to follow a rule, but to embrace God’s purpose in rest. To trust Him with my decisions, not in panic but in calm expectation. To breathe deeply, release my striving, and let His presence reset my soul.
Key Truths
Rest is not optional—it’s commanded. The Sabbath is holy, set apart by God for our good.
Rest is not passive—it’s active trust. It means releasing our “I can’t” statements and placing the burden into God’s hands, saying “God, I can’t... but You can!”
Rest is relational—it’s about connection. The Sabbath isn’t just time off; it’s time with God.
Rest brings clarity. When we pause, God reveals areas where we’re off track and guides us in our next steps.
Finding Rest in God's Presence:
Exodus 33:14: God promises, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest".
Psalm 23:1-3: The Lord is depicted as a shepherd who provides, leading His sheep to "lie down in green pastures".
AMP Version: The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Psalm 46:10 AMP: A call to "Be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God," recognizing His sovereignty.
TPT: “Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth.”
Psalm 91:1-5: Dwellers in the shelter of the Most High "rest in the shadow of the Almighty".
AMP Version: He who [a]dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”
For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions,
And under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.
You will not be afraid of the terror of night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
TPT Version: “When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse. His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.”
Spiritual and Emotional Rest:
Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus invites the weary and burdened to find rest in Him, promising His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
TPT Version: “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in Me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”
Philippians 4:6-7: Be anxious about nothing, but present requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving, leading to His peace.
AMP Version: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”
TPT Version: “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on God, because He cares for you.
AMP Version: “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
TPT Version: “Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.”
Rest as a State of Being:
Hebrews 4:9-11: A reminder of the spiritual rest available to God's people through faith, which is a ceasing from their own works.
AMP Version: “So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].”
Psalm 37:7: Reminds us to remember who’s got this.
AMP Version: “Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”
TPT Version: “Quiet your heart in his presence and wait patiently for Yahweh. And don’t think for a moment that the wicked, in their prosperity, are better off than you.”
Reflection Questions
What makes rest difficult for you—your schedule, your mindset, or something else?
Isaiah says the Sabbath should be a “delight.” What would it look like for you to delight in the Lord on your Sabbath day?
How does Jesus’ promise of anapauo rest (calm expectation) change your understanding of what it means to rest in Him?
What “I” statements (I can’t, I don’t know, I’m exhausted) do you need to surrender to God today?
How does it feel to think of rest as trust instead of just stillness?
What next step might God be asking you to take? Not the whole path—just one faithful step.
Practical Applications
Set Aside Sabbath Time: Choose one day or a block of time this week to disconnect from work and intentionally connect with God.
Create Space to Breathe: Turn off distractions (social media, phone, noise) for a set period and spend that time reading Scripture, journaling, or simply sitting quietly before the Lord.
Trade “I” for “I AM”: Each time you catch yourself saying, “I don’t know… I can’t… I’m exhausted,” pause and remind yourself of who God is—the great I AM.
One Next Step: Ask God, “What is the next step You want me to take?” Commit to obeying that single step without needing to know the whole plan.
Prayer Prompt :
“Lord, I need rest in the area of _______.” (silent or spoken)
“Lord, I want to trust You with the next step in _______.”
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for creating the gift of Sabbath rest. Teach me not only to observe it but to preserve it. Quiet my striving, clear the clutter in my heart, and help me find calm expectation in You. Where my strength ends, let Your will begin. Show me the next step to take, and give me courage to trust You with the rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.