
Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better
Alan Fadling and Gem FadlingThe Spacious Life God Intended
September 21, 2026 ● 20 minShare this episode
What if the Old Testament law was more spacious than we imagine?
In this episode, Alan Fadling explores a surprising question: How much time did God set aside in Israel’s calendar for worship, rest, celebration, and remembrance?
Weekly Sabbaths. Annual festivals. New Moon observances. A sabbatical year for the land. Jubilee. Taken together, these rhythms reveal a God who was not forming a people around relentless productivity, but around worship, trust, gratitude, and enoughness.
Alan reflects on Israel’s struggle to receive this gift, our own modern “burnout economy,” and the striking connection between Sabbath and freedom from slavery. Perhaps rest is not merely recovery from working too much. Perhaps it is part of the spacious life God intended for us.
In this episode:
- The surprising amount of rest built into Israel’s calendar
- Why Israel struggled to practice the sabbatical year and Jubilee
- What Sabbath has to do with freedom from slavery
- Why our burnout economy makes these ancient rhythms newly relevant
- How rest becomes an apprenticeship in trusting God
- What these rhythms might mean for the way we live and lead today
“Slaves don’t get Sabbaths. Free people do.”
Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.
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Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Remember You Are Truly Never Alone - Your Daily Prayer - November 12
Nothing is hidden from His sight because He knows all things; He knows hearts and our deepest needs, but when we share our burdens and cares with Him, we are reminding our soul of the goodness and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.
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