Rest Here!

CONVERSATIONS:

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2: 2 NIV

“For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "On the seventh day God rested from all his works." Hebrews 4:4

Those two verses above would intrigue me . . .

Why would the God of the Universe want to rest? He’s supposed to be Almighty and all-powerful.

Did He get tired from all the busy work He did on the first 6 days of creation?

Did He get tired from creating the solar system? . . . all the animals in Africa? . . . all the sea creatures in the deep? . . . all the people in the world?

Does God even need to rest?

Listen to what Isaiah 40: 28 says: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”

What then, was the purpose of God resting?

Let’s look at the events that occurred in the 1st book of Genesis, prior to God resting:

26Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them . . .

God created man and woman in His image and His plan from day one was to “make them rule”.

What an honor and what a daunting task, for us to be asked by God “to rule” over the earth. That is what we desire. We want to rule. We want to succeed.

We want to get ahead in life. We work long hours, take two jobs, burn the midnight oil, we work, work, work, to make more money, provide for our family, and reach our goals in life.

But hold on for a second. If God’s primary purpose was to make us work, why then didn’t He create us on the 1st day? Why not on the 2nd day, when He was still busy creating the world? Why create man on the last day when He had finished his work?

I believe the reason is, when Adam & Eve opened their eyes, they would see, not a busy, task-oriented God, but a loving God who wanted to have a relationship, a connection with them.

He was setting an example of what it meant to be “at rest”.

The old Webster 1828 Dictionary actually defines “rest” this way:

1. Cessation of motion or action of any kind, and applicable to any body or being; as rest from labor; rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind. A body is at rest, when it ceases to move; the mind is at rest, when it ceases to be disturbed or agitated;

2. Quiet; repose; a state free from motion or disturbance; a state of reconciliation to God.

Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls. Matthew 11:29 (KJV)

Q. How do you describe “rest”? A weekend break? A 2 week vacation a year? How would our popular definition of “rest “ compare to Webster’s 2nd definition above?

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Q. Based on that definition, is it possible for us to “rest” daily?

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“. . . for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” Hebrews 4:10

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for showing us your example. Thank you for loving us so much that your desire is to connect with us relationally, prior to making us rule.

I realize that my strength, my energies are not what are needed to get ahead in life. That only leads to burn-out.

My primary purpose is to connect with You first, on a daily basis.

Let your plans, your wisdom, your ideas be what direct me, and let it be your supernatural power be what empowers me.

Let each day I live, be a divine collaboration with the God who created me, resting in your Presence all the way.

In Jesus name. Amen.