How Do I Connect with the Divine?

By Rev. Kristen Tucker

In March, when Charlotte took the first steps to “Shelter-in-Place,” this order did not scare me, but excited me. I would now have the time to study, to read, to cook, and to catch-up on my favorite TV shows. Little did I know God would have a different plan.

In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says, “When your Bible reading, prayers, church and life circumstances speak in themes, pay attention for God is speaking.” (paraphrase) All I continued to hear through reading, podcasts and prayer time was two words: SABBATH REST.

When seeking what God was trying to tell me, I discovered that I needed to be more intentional in taking a sabbath rest day. At first, I was intimidated. “Would I not become bored?” “With living by myself, would this put me in a pit of loneliness?” I did not even know what a sabbath rest day looked like and as an Enneagram Type 1, I really needed to know how to do this, and how to do it RIGHT!

Society says the opposite of what God says when it comes to productive living and rest. Society berates us by saying our importance is based on our busyness. However, before sin entered the world, God showed the perfect example of sabbath rest.
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And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done. Genesis 2:2-3 (Amplified)

God CEASED from all His work. God BLESSED this day of ceasing. God made this day HOLY and set it apart from other days. God showed creation, and us today, a rest day is the most important day He created.

I began my practice of taking a sabbath rest day by protecting every Saturday and meeting the Divine in this day. I ceased from work and quickly learned sabbath rest is not always alone, not a day of doing chores and housework. Instead it is a day to completely step away from emails, the news and social media. For me, it has become a day of listening to sermons/podcasts of biblical truth and encouragement. I take naps and eat delicious foods. I enjoy walks and reflect in all the things God has done in that week, in that month or even in my life.

It is about remembering how faithful God is and His desire to have this time with me too.
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In September I will be starting a Saturday night service called Overflow. As I planned my new week and schedule I have chosen my “weekend” to be Tuesdays & Wednesdays, with Wednesday being my SABBATH REST day. For me, this has been a day of meeting the Divine and sitting still in rest.
You and your family can begin this practice of SABBATH REST too. Even if it’s not a whole day, start with ½ a day where you all are resting, enjoying the Presence of God and family time. Listen to music or podcasts that bring in biblical truth and encouragement. Seek God to show you how to live out this day of ceasing from work. Our Divine God is so creative and will guide you on this very holy day and be encouraged: God can do more in six days than we can do in seven.

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