Blog

A Day of Rest

By: Alan Harvey

Posted: April 21, 2015

Category: Daily Devotional

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

Put on your imaginary glasses and see if you can visualize this scene with me.

What comes into view first is God in a reclining position … in a celestial hammock. With one foot God is kicking in a gentle rhythmic pattern and the hammock swings back and forth. With one hand God reaches for a tall cool refreshing glass of lemonade, not too tart, not overly sweet, but just right! God is relaxed and being renewed.

God looks around and sees the lights … the sun, moon, and stars that God made and they are as fantastic looking up close as far away. From this high vantage point God views the earth below … seeing that beautiful and glorious blue and green orb that astronauts so often have described and sent pictures back to earth of how the world looks from that perspective. God surveys the pale blue of the skies that descends and deepens to a midnight blue at the bottom of the sea. Then God notices the dry land … the green of the earth … examining the flowers, grasses, plants, shrubs, and trees. Requiring no additional magnification, God sees the tiniest insects, the great sea creatures, the birds flying in the air, and all of the animals that creep, crawl, and roam on the earth. The smile on God’s face that has been there from the beginning has now grown to its maximum breadth as God gazes at humankind, made in God’s own image, both male and female. All that God has made is very good!

God is weary as the work of creation taxes one’s energy, but as God swings in the hammock looking at all God’s hands have made, God feels a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. God takes the seventh day to rest and is renewed by the time spent in the hammock and the time spent in reflection and review. The time of rest and reflection restores God’s energy.

Like our Creator, we need time for rest and reflection … a Sabbath …that may occur on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, or any other day of the week. Our failure to observe a day of rest is detrimental to our well-being and is a violation of God’s image, in which we have been made. If Almighty God needed a day to rest and reflect, then the mortal beings that we are need a Sabbath even more so! Let’s take care of ourselves by observing a day of rest so that our productivity is enhanced and we glorify the One who made us in His image!

PRAYER

Creator God, work is good, but it is also tiring! We thank You for work to do and for the feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes once our work is done and has been done to the best of our ability. Remind us to take the time to rest and reflect, so that our energy is restored and our creative powers renewed. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.