Sabbath: The Best Invitation (Stop) - Utah Devotional (March 24)

STOP! WAIT! HOLD UP! However I can get your attention this morning, I want you to do just one thing: STOP! That might feel intense for the start of the day, but I want you to hear this clearly. Last night we talked about how today will revolve around one of the Ten Commandments and an important spiritual discipline: Sabbath. Later today we will talk about what it truly means to rest. But before we can rest, we have to do something that our culture is really bad at. We have to stop. 

Stopping may actually be the hardest part of Sabbath. Our world moves fast. Our schedules are full. Our phones are constantly buzzing. Most of us don’t know how to slow down, let alone stop entirely. Yet when we obey the Lord and follow His rhythm for Sabbath, something beautiful happens. We experience peace. We experience blessing. We remember why we exist. We exist to know the God of the universe. 

Think about that for a moment. The God who created everything—the galaxies, the oceans, the mountains, the air you breathe—cares deeply enough about you that He built a rhythm of rest into His world. Sabbath is not a burden God placed on us; it is a gift He gave us.

But if Sabbath is about rest, why aren’t we talking about rest yet? Because real rest can’t happen until we stop long enough to recognize where rest actually comes from. Your rest will never be meaningful if it isn’t rooted in the One who created rest in the first place. John Mark Comer says it well in his book Garden City:

“That’s why Sabbath is an expression of faith. Faith that there is a Creator and he’s good. We are his creation. This is his world. We live under his roof, drink his water, eat his food, breathe his oxygen. So on the Sabbath, we don’t just take a day off from work; we take a day off from toil. We give him all our fear and anxiety and stress and worry. We let go. We stop ruling and subduing, and we just be. We “remember” our place in the universe. So that we never forget . . . There is a God, and I’m not him.”

That reality might sound humbling at first: you are not God. But it’s actually incredibly freeing. You are not responsible for holding the world together. You are not the one who keeps the universe running. You are not the source of your own life or rest. But here is the beautiful truth: You get to know the One who is. The God who put the galaxies in place invites you into relationship with Him. He made you in His image—His Imago Dei. And because He loves you, He created rhythms like Sabbath so you would never forget who He is and who you are. And when you truly see something beautiful, what do you do? You stop. When you see a breathtaking painting, you stop. When you see a stunning view in nature, you stop. When you watch a sunrise or sunset in Utah, you stop. Beauty demands our attention.

And in the same way, when God reveals His beauty—through His creation, through His rest, and most clearly through His salvation—you cannot truly experience it unless you stop long enough to take it in. Learn from my experience:

When I was in high school, I had what you might call a summer fling with a girl named Jessie Johnson. We met at camp, texted constantly, and for about a month she was all I could think about. So when my family went on vacation to Southern Oregon, I wasn’t exactly thrilled because Jessie wasn’t there. My parents, however, were pumped. We were exploring, sightseeing, and even attending a wedding. On our last day, we were going to one of the most beautiful places in the country: Crater Lake. Meanwhile, I sat in the backseat counting the hours until I could get back home. When we finally arrived, my parents were in awe. The deep blue water, the mountains surrounding the lake, the stillness of the whole place. But me? I sat there on my phone, assuming we’d stop for five minutes, take a picture, and leave. That didn’t happen. My parents wanted to stop at every viewpoint. Every stop looked the same to me, and I grew more frustrated each time. I completely missed the beauty in front of me because I was focused on something I thought was more beautiful—Jessie.

Fast forward a few years. This time, I was dating a different girl, and her name was Olivia Croft (she later changed her last name to Busch, so clearly things went well). Before getting married, my best friend and I took a road trip—NBA playoff games, national parks, and two guys enjoying the adventure. One stop was the Grand Canyon. Everyone talks about it since it’s one of the wonders of the world, so I expected to be blown away. But when I first saw it, I honestly thought, “Huh… it’s big.” After about ten seconds, I felt like I had seen it all. And if I’m being honest, maybe I couldn’t fully see its beauty because all I could think about was getting home to Olivia.

Our final stop was Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. I had never even heard of it. Compared to the Grand Canyon, it seemed smaller and less impressive. By that point, I was ready to be done with the trip. But my friend insisted it was worth it. And he was right. Capitol Reef wasn’t one massive, jaw-dropping moment. It was hundreds of small moments. Every turn revealed something new—cliffs, canyons, orchards, rivers, and eventually a sky full of stars. That night we climbed to one of the highest points in the park and watched the sunset fade into darkness. Slowly the stars began to appear, filling the sky. And for the first time on that trip, I stopped. I wasn’t thinking about where I wanted to be next. I wasn’t distracted. I opened my Bible, read a Psalm, and just sat there in silence. Everywhere I looked, I could see the fingerprints of God. Yes, I still wanted to get home to Olivia. But in that moment, God’s creation had my full attention. His beauty demanded it.

The moment my attention returned to Him, I couldn’t help but stop and be in awe. And that’s my invitation to you this morning: Turn your attention back to Jesus. If this week has helped you see the beauty of the gospel in a fresh way, come back to that. If your awe for Jesus has been rekindled this week, come back to that. If you feel distracted, busy, or spiritually numb, come back to Him anyway. Come to the feet of Jesus. Look again at the cross He bore for you. See again the beauty of the gospel. At the beginning of this Sabbath day, receive the best invitation Jesus offers—not a program, not a schedule, but Himself. The Lord of the Sabbath is inviting you to come and rest. But first, you have to stop.

Suggested Prayer:

Lord, help us to slow down and be still before You. Quiet our hearts and remove the distractions that keep us from noticing Your presence. Open our eyes to see Your goodness and beauty all around us. Teach us to simply be with You. Amen.

Scripture:

• Psalm 46

• Matthew 11:25-30, 12:1-8

Questions To Ponder:

• Individual Reflection

  • What is currently making it hard for you to “be still” and slow down?

  • What do you notice about Jesus’ invitation to rest in Matthew 11?

  • What would it look like for you to truly stop and notice God today?