Week 1, Day 2 - The Day God Rested

"By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work." Genesis 2:2

REFLECT

A University of Chicago medical study has shown a link between sleep deprivation and obesity. Other research shows that teens put themselves at risk for cognitive and emotional difficulties, poor grades, and accidents if they deprive themselves of sleep. What can we learn form this? When we try to burn the candle at both ends, we end up being the ones who are burned.

Genesis talks about the "rest" of God. But why would God rest? Was it that creating the universe was terribly taxing on him? Or maybe the real effort was in creating the planets - bringing together just the right amount of matter, cooling it down, and bringing about life. Was it difficult for God to create humanity? Was it then that God sat back and said: "I'm exhausted." No, it wasn't like that. The rest of God was the day he said: "There. That's that. Sun, moon, planet, firmament, jungle, mammal, fish, man. Here is my masterpiece."

The Hebrew word Shabbat (from which we get our word Sabbath) literally and simply means to cease. To stop what you are doing. To end one thing that you are doing so that something else can happen. God did not Shabbat on the seventh day because he was exhausted to the point of collapse. He stopped because he was finished with what he intended to do, and then he went on to do other things. Like taking care of the incredible world he created.

And in doing so, a pattern was set for the whole universe. All of life would spin in cycles. Day gives way to night, and then night is broken by the dawn. We loop around the sun. Today dry spells last for a season. Spring keeps coming. We get to go to sleep at night. Every day is a new beginning.

One of the commands of God - a most serious command, repeated as much as any other command in the Old and New Testament - is that we choose to "Shabbat". To stop. Not a rolling stop like a novice driver slinking through a stop sign, but coming to a full stop. And then starting again. God came to a certain place where he stopped and let his glorious creation shine. And he invites us to do the same. He invites us to share in his "Shabbat".

Make It Real

I know this is difficult for some of us, but, find some time today to stop all your normal activity. Go to some restful place and think through what God has created in our life. Give thanks to God and tell him what parts of your life could use a rest at this time. ENJOY!

Day 3