We All Need Space To Exhale - Encouragement for Today - January 22, 2026

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January 22, 2026

We All Need Space To Exhale
LYSA TERKEURST

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“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 …” Isaiah 58:13-14 (NIV)

Rest. That sounds so good, but it's really difficult for a girl like me. Even when my physical body is at rest, my mind rarely is.

I feel like I’m always juggling balls in my brain. Other people’s needs. Home demands. Work projects. The to-do lists never stop. Can you relate?

Yet the Bible makes it very clear that we are to honor the Sabbath and pursue rest. God tells us to hit the pause button on life once a week and guard our need to rest. Guard it fiercely. Guard it intentionally. Guard it even if our schedules beg us to do otherwise.

But why?

There are personal reasons we need to observe the Sabbath that are unique for each person. There are private conversations we need to have with God. We all need to pause, sit with God, and ask Him to reveal some things to us.

But when I consider today’s key verses, something else also occurs to me. Sabbath is not just a day for me to give to God. It’s a day God established for me. He wants to give me something, if only I’ll slow down enough to receive it:

“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 …” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

The Sabbath isn’t merely a time to be observed; it’s a time to be preserved. It’s a time to rediscover our joy in the Lord.

I need this. I want to be a preserver of the Sabbath — one who is determined to protect this day and experience the delight of God.

The observer remembers to rest. The preserver rests to remember that it's all about God.

The observer pauses on the Sabbath day in order to follow a rule. The preserver does more than follow a rule. She follows God’s desire and embraces His purpose in the rest. She spends one day a week letting the fresh wind of God's rest blow through her, cleaning out all she's been taking in during the week, with a purifying soul exhale.

It’s all about pausing and connecting with God without the distracting chaos of our everyday routines so we can align with His rhythm. God’s rhythm preserves a space in us to hear His voice, reveals the places where we’re off track, and clears unnecessary clutter. Quiet rest allows us to see where we’re going our own way, the areas where we’re more self-pleasing than God-pleasing, the idle words that need to be reined in. During the downtime, we can deal with our mental clutter and focus on the ways of God.

The Sabbath makes this possible.

Taking one day for rest gives my soul the freedom it so desperately needs. Space to breathe. Inhaling and exhaling in a gentle rhythm set by God.

Dear Lord, I’m so grateful for the gift of the Sabbath. Please help me to be a preserver of this holy, precious time with You each week. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Rest sounds amazing … but actually slowing down? Way harder than it should be. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or like your soul is running on fumes, this fall might be the perfect moment to step away from the rush and just breathe. From September 25-October 3, join Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle on an incredible Lifeway cruise through England, France, and Spain — with breathtaking views, meaningful worship, and Bible teaching that meets you right where real life happens. If your heart’s been whispering, “I need a reset,” consider this your friendly nudge. Learn more, and reserve your cabin today!

ENGAGE

Find everyday encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Hebrews 4:9-10, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (NIV).

Take a moment to think about your own practices for rest and reflection on the Sabbath. What can you do to hit "pause" and spend some time with the Lord this week? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

© 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org