When we enter God’s presence, the rest of the world can fade away and our souls are nourished. Just Between Us offers many articles on soul care, and we hope you’ll find inspiration for your own spiritual refreshment and renewal here.

What are you feeding your soul?

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Just like our bodies need healthy food and exercise to thrive, our souls also need proper care and refreshment if we want to be spiritually healthy. We need to make sure we are spending time in prayer, studying God’s Word, taking part in communal worship, and enjoying fellowship with other believers to maintain a healthy spiritual life.

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But there is more to the care and feeding of a human soul than these activities. Another important component of soul care is regular Sabbath rest, setting aside time and space for spiritual renewal and restoration.

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God knew the importance of rest for both body and spirit when He established the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day after finishing His creation (Gen. 2:1-3). Later, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, God provided manna for them every day of the week except for the seventh day. On the sixth day, they were supposed to gather enough manna for two days so they could observe a “day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD” (Ex. 16:23). Later, when Moses brought down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, the Israelites learned that God wanted them to set aside every seventh day to “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Ex. 20:8).

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Jesus invites us to enjoy genuine rest in Him: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with m —watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matt. 11:28-30, MSG). 

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Jesus modeled this for us, often going off to a quiet place, away from the crowds, to spend time alone with His heavenly Father. He even urged His disciples, after an intense time in ministry, to “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).

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Different Christian traditions treat the Sabbath differently, but whether you set aside one day a week or an hour or two several times a week, make soul care a priority by resting in Him.