A Day of Rest – June 12, 2020

By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2,3

A Day of Rest

The universe had been created in a week. What a week! Oceans were filled. Planets were established in orbit. Thousands and thousands of species of plants and animals had been spoken into existence. The light switches of countless stars had been flipped on. Mankind had been carefully crafted out of the dust of the ground.

After a week like that, we would all need a break—maybe some time on the couch or a nap in our hammock outside. God rested too, though not for reasons we might think. Our almighty God was not worn out. He wasn’t looking to put his feet up. He did not need a moment to regain his strength. Rather, he rested because he wanted to establish a pattern. God rested because he knew we would need it.

That is why he blessed the seventh day and made it holy. He knew that we were going to need a spiritual rest. After each week of being hounded by the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, God knew we would need refreshment. So, he set aside a day out of his week to set the pattern. He intended that we would follow his lead. Our God blessed the seventh day for our good. He wants us to worship and rest in his Word. He wants the message of forgiveness to bring strength and assurance to our troubled hearts in this weary world.

Resist the temptation to tell yourself that you’re fine not being in church. Fight the idea that you don’t need to be in God’s house regularly. There, God meets with us to feed our souls with his Word, nourishes us, and gives us strength for the coming week. There, we hear the wonderful news that our sins are forgiven in Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear God, forgive me for the times I have neglected you and your Word. Help me to seek the rest that only you can provide. Bless me and my family as we make time to be in your house. Amen.