Sabbath as Delight, Not Duty|The Sunday Sabbath #9
“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, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken. — Isaiah 58:13-14 (NIV)
Dear Friend,
For years, I treated Sabbath like one more item on my spiritual to-do list. Check the box. Take a rest day. Feel guilty about it. Get back to the grind. My hustle culture mindset had convinced me that constantly grinding and going was the only path to success—that rest was something I had to earn, not something freely given. Even when I did pause, I approached it with obligation rather than delight, always feeling like I should be doing more.
But then something shifted. I began to understand that rest isn’t just necessary or even just good—it’s a biblical command from God Himself. Not a suggestion. Not a nice idea for when life calms down. A command woven into the very fabric of creation. When that truth settled into my heart, everything changed. I stopped treating Sabbath as lost time and started experiencing it as a sacred gift. I learned to genuinely delight in rest, and that transformation didn’t just affect me—it overflowed to my entire family. Now my boys don’t always want to do all the things. They’re content just to be home, to rest intentionally, to embrace the sacred rhythm of pause that our household has learned to treasure.
Finding Joy in Sacred Rest
There’s something almost rebellious about the way God invites us to experience Sabbath in Isaiah 58. He doesn’t just command rest—He calls us to delight in it. To find joy in it. To honor it not as one more obligation on our spiritual to-do list, but as a gift that nourishes our souls.
How often do we approach rest with a sense of duty rather than delight? We “take a Sabbath” because we know we should, because burnout is lurking at the edges of our lives, because everyone keeps telling us we need boundaries. We rest reluctantly, with one eye on our work, mentally calculating how much we’re falling behind.
But God’s vision for the Sabbath is so much richer than that.
When we call the Sabbath a delight—when we truly honor it as sacred time set apart—something shifts. We stop seeing rest as lost productivity and start experiencing it as found joy. We discover that our worth isn’t tied to our output. We remember that our identity is rooted in being God’s beloved, not in our accomplishments.
The promise attached to this delight is stunning: “You will find your joy in the LORD.” Not just peace. Not just relief from exhaustion. But actual, abundant joy that comes from recognizing that the Creator of the universe invites us to rest in His presence, to cease our striving, and to simply be with Him.
This is especially counter-cultural in creative work and ministry. We’re taught that consistency is king, that platforms require constant feeding, that success demands relentless hustle. But God offers us a different way—a soft, sacred, slow rhythm that includes a weekly pause. A pattern that declares rest isn’t weakness; it’s worship.
When we approach Sabbath as delight rather than duty, we’re not just obeying a command—we’re accepting an invitation. We’re saying yes to the God who knows we need more than productivity. We’re choosing to find our joy not in what we accomplish, but in the One who accomplishes all things through us when we learn to rest in Him.
Invitation for the Week
This week, I invite you to practice finding delight in your Sabbath rest. Notice where you’re approaching rest as an obligation rather than a gift. Pay attention to the moments when you’re tempted to “just quickly check” your work or feel guilty for pausing.
If you’re a creative, resist the urge to treat every moment as potential content. Let your Sabbath be truly set apart—not as wasted time, but as sacred space where you remember that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity.
Ask yourself: What would it look like to genuinely delight in rest this week? What would change if you believed God’s promise that joy is found not in doing more, but in resting well?
Reflection Questions
When you think about Sabbath rest, does it feel more like duty or delight? What messages (from culture, from yourself, from others) have shaped your current approach to rest?
Where are you currently finding your joy—in your accomplishments and productivity, or in the Lord Himself? How might embracing Sabbath as delight help you shift this focus?
What would it look like to “honor” your Sabbath this week—to treat it as truly sacred and set apart? What practical step could you take to move from reluctant rest to delighted rest?
Prayer
Gracious Father,
Forgive me for the times I’ve treated Your gift of Sabbath as just another obligation. Forgive me for approaching rest with guilt instead of gratitude, with reluctance instead of reverence.
Teach me to call the Sabbath a delight. Help me honor this sacred time You’ve set apart, not as wasted hours but as worship. Show me how to find my joy in You—not in what I accomplish, but in who You are and who You’ve called me to be.
When I’m tempted to fill every moment with productivity, remind me that You designed me for rhythm, not relentlessness. When I feel guilty for resting, whisper Your truth that I am beloved regardless of my output.
Let this Sabbath be different. Let me truly pause. Let me find joy not in my striving, but in Your presence. And let this sacred rest restore not just my body, but my soul.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
The Story Sanctuary
Welcome to The Story Sanctuary! This is where I share all things books—my latest releases, stories I’m loving, and recommendations from fellow authors whose work inspires me. Think of this as our cozy corner where stories and Sabbath rest intersect, and reading is always an act of soul care.
Group Promotions Featuring Blue Stone Christmas
This week, I’m excited to team up with other indie authors to help collectively promote our books! I’m part of two wonderful group promotions featuring sweet romances—including my own Blue Stone Christmas—and I wanted to share them with you.
Love in Full Bloom Group Promo
This is the promotion I’m most excited to share with you! This collection features sweet and clean romances, and here’s the best part—all of these books are available in Kindle Unlimited. That means if you’re a KU subscriber, you can discover new-to-you authors without having to purchase each book individually. It’s the perfect opportunity to expand your TBR (to-be-read) pile without breaking the budget!
Blue Stone Christmas is part of this collection, and I’d love for you to discover some of the other wonderful authors featured here. While I always encourage you to read book descriptions to ensure a story matches your preferences, this bundle should feature sweet and clean content throughout.
Blue Stone Christmas is available in Kindle Unlimited and can also be requested in ebook or paperback from your local library!
This promotion runs through January 13, 2026.
Sweethearts In The Snow Group Promo
This collection also features sweet, clean, and Christian romances perfect for cozy winter reading. Not all of these books are in Kindle Unlimited (Blue Stone Christmas is available in KU), so you may need to purchase these books from various retailers or author websites. As always, I encourage you to read book descriptions to ensure each story matches your preferences.
Blue Stone Christmas is featured in this promotion as well and is available in Kindle Unlimited. You can also request it in ebook or paperback from your local library!
This promotion runs through January 2, 2026.
Both of these promotions are wonderful ways to support indie authors while discovering new stories to curl up with during these cozy winter months. And remember—reading is rest too. It’s Sabbath for the soul.
Until Next Sunday
May your week be marked by sacred pauses and delighted rest. May you find your joy not in what you accomplish, but in the Lord who invites you to cease striving and simply be His beloved.
Remember: Sabbath isn’t about doing less because you have to. It’s about resting well because you’re loved. It’s about finding delight in the gift of sacred time, and discovering that joy is found not in productivity, but in presence.
Rest well, dear friend. The work will wait. But this moment—this invitation to delight in the Lord—is yours right now.
In the soft, sacred rhythm of Sabbath,
Antonisha
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