Detox Time

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat is Hebrew for Sabbath, and Shalom means peace. Traditionally, on Friday evening or throughout the day until evening on Sabbath (Saturday). You are wishing someone peace on the Sabbath or wishing them the peace that the Sabbath itself brings if you observe it.

This evening, mine husband and I start “our” Shabbat Shalom. Our personal Shabbat’s change with his employment schedule. It is his day off of working that we take to honor God in rest and peace. There are many other Sabbaths or Jubilees (meaning celebration. Hebrew meaning ram’s horn) that God established. That trumpet (shofar) is blown, we rest in the Lord. We decrease, He increases when we rest and when we celebrate. Sabbath is also a representation of when we will be gathered in the air to be with the Lord for eternity. Eternal Rest.

Sabbath is a day to break from our works and give praise and worship God in fellowship together for His works. And, Scripture tells us we will get to do this for eternity. Selah

Though, we are to think on and rest in the Lord daily; His yoke is easy and burden light, God commands us to cease from working one day a week.

Not only do our physical bodies need to rest, so does our spiritual lives. We battle all the day and night long in spiritual warfare. not just from our own lives but other people’s needs; standing in the gap and edifying one another. Our spiritual lives are working around the clock and is connected physically, mentally and emotionally, all at the same time. Yes, we get our strength from the Lord, but we will tire and grow weary without rest.

Even Scripture speaks of a 7 day Sabbath; rest after men went into face to face combat to be cleansed from such violence and bloodshed. Same is true for working in this filthy world (we can’t help but to get some dirt on us) and Spiritual warfare we must rest to be cleansed from the toxins that seep in. Over tired causes stress and sickness, which can cause major crippling to our minds and bodies that can be prevented by detox aka rest alone.

The joy of the Lord is our strength, we get Joy from perfect Peace and Perfect peace from Agape Love, all from resting in the Salvation and Deliverance of Jesus Christ; our Lord and Savior.

We have not yet received our incorruptible bodies and we are called to care for our bodies, because we are not our own. We are mere vessels, the dwelling place; the temple for God’s Holy Spirit. Sabbath is a way we obey God; our Creator and keeps us in check that He is Almighty and works all things for good.

The lifestyles of laboring for the physical aspects of life and the Spiritual work of Kingdom building can consume us without breaks. Pride can easily be planted again and take root to grow so much ungodly fruit. We must stop, rest and honor God, who gives us the privilege and command to rest.

From resting in the Lord, we are given peace that is unsurpassed. I call it my spiritual serum. Rest restores me, heals me and rejuvenates not just me and my body, but also my relationship with God, and mine husband and those who we fellowship with that appointed day. It is a coming together in humbleness to give God reverence where it is due. Sabbath keeps us in obedience, humility and good health in God’s will.

Let me encourage you to take a day of rest if you don’t already and if you do, continue to. Because one of the top devises of our enemy is “busyness”. And, if he can snare, deceive and trick us to not stop and rest in the Lord, he can lead us away from the Lord. Then, we are subject to falling away, back into worldliness and sin, the life we have been delivered and set apart from. There is nothing and no one more important in our lives than God and we need to stand firm in this belief to keep Sabbath.

God, we thank you for protecting us with the command to rest, to keep us cleansed and rejuvenated to tarry on through this journey home with you. We thank you and praise you for our rest in Jesus Christ for the work of His perfect obedience done for the forgiveness and covering of our sins. May we never forget to rest and if we do, send us reminders to convict us to get where we belong, resting in you. We thank you for all of your mighty works in our lives and the lives of others and the faith to believe without seeing until it is all shown to us. Bless everyone reading this prayer with their need to rest in Jesus name, it is so