Genesis 2:
“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. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
God rested.
It is amazing to think that the uncreated one in all his might and power and abilities should choose to rest on the seventh day. For the Bible is clear, Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. Is.40:28
Yet, God chose to rest. It pleased God to rest. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to, he delighted to rest. For this one day after the creation of the world, our God was still. This is a great mystery. I wonder what God did on this day, I wonder what the purpose and the very disposition of his heart was. Was he gazing in admiration the beloved creatures and creation he had completed? Did he watch the gazelles leap across the grass with loving sereneness? Or was he observing every physical law in practice, delighting in the whirl of activity in every consciousness, pleased in all the sensibilities that the sounds and calls of nature could ever evoke? Hahaha! It makes me laugh that God, our great God, thought to rest, to even take in, to just rest. Was He thinking about the entire history that was to unfold before His all-knowing eyes? Did he see laid out before him the history of all every single thing and being would encounter, trailing it even to the clash of every last molecule? Did he see me during this time? Did he see His church, His desire for her, the rejection that He would face not just from his own House from generations to generations, but even those that later called themselves his children? Yet, knowing that only a few would be faithful to him, and none perfect in love, he was at peace enough to rest, to allow pain and love, suffering and redemption enter this world?
Or perhaps the Lord simply rested. In order to make this day holy, He, even God himself, set this day apart, chose not to work, so that even HE could revere it. Was He as humble as this?! To make an example of holiness for us and to venerate this day in such a way to even not allow himself to work?!
This this should be headline news! ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION!
GOD, the Alpha Omega, the Creator, the OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, ALL-KNOWING GOD…
RESTED!
It seems utterly IMPOSSIBLE for God to be still. It seems utterly impossible for God to DO NOTHING, because He is in everything, and hold all things together. But, if I know one thing, I know that God can do all things, and therefore, God can choose to not do ANYTHING LITERALLY for an entire Day if He pleases to!
Why did God make the conscious effort to chose to do this? (Although all God does is through conscious effort, it should be emphasized here that every act of God has a will, especially the conscious decision to do no act.)
It says later in the verse that “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
I believe or get the impression that God did this in order to set this day apart. God chose to do nothing, because He was setting an example in love what it looks like to humble himself. Although he had absolutely no need to be humble, God literally chose to ‘rest,’ and do no work on this day, in order to make it venerable and holy. God is so humble! Did you imagine seeing God’s humility here? IN THESE DEPTHS?! God humbly stopped working in order to sanctify a day for our sake.
What should our response be?
Well, shoot, first of all, PRAISE THE LORD for resting because He is an amazing LOVING and humble God! That He would choose to do things that are of no absolute need to Him, but does so for us, and yet still for His glory!
Secondly, If GOD HIMSELF stopped working on the Sabbath, then OH SHOOT, we need to do some serious heart-checking here, some serious self-examination. How are we approaching our time on Sabbath with the Lord? Out of a second begrudging glance at our work, dragging our feet to church, hurriedly leaving, our thoughts whirling with the work of our hands? Oh, if we could but just rest in God, just as God, though he had absolutely no need to (I can’t get over the fact that this almost seems, like, preposterous!!), RESTED.
How then should we rest?
We rest as God rested. We rest from the worries of this world, from the works of our hands, and we rest as sweetly as God himself rested. Cease all your doings, turn to God. Then, we will remember that we are finite, we will remember that God is good and the provider, and we will rejoice again to take upon our hands the works entrusted to us.
There’s so much more to be said about REST, how God is our eternal rest NOW and not just when we die, that there is infinite peace in Him. There’s also so much to be said about resting in God while we work! There should be a series on this. I never knew that a day when God did absolutely nothing would reveal so much of God than on a day when He did do things. Glory, O Holy and Beautiful One! May your creation sing of you!!
“Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.” St. Augustine
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
new favorite song
I find this true to be in procrastinating on my schoolwork. :P
But also true in the ones that God has chosen to receive eternal life.
God will have his way, our disobedience or misinterpretation in ministering to them might delay the process. But what is coming is sure.
This is the faith. that’s been given unto me.
for her. :)
May I be prepared!
I realize that it is only you that can satisfy my soul, though my body be full or empty.
Though my heart and flesh may fail
God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
HAHAHA, how wonderfully delightful are you to my soul!
On the topic of EVANGELISM with a non-Christian… excuse me, another person, I think that was the most insightful conversation I’ve had or could have rather than through evangelism training or advice or conference knowledge. I wonder if God uses the lost to minister to us heady Christians sometimes. And I think, he does often.
Concerning how she did not believe in God, it was amazing to see the insights that God had shed upon her. She possessed sensitive faculties, a warm heart, a desire for justice, a genuine concern to include and incorporate everyone… qualities that were so defined in her that are lacking in many Christians today. She complained of an evangelism experience she had when visiting a church in the area, of how the person threw at her the conventional evangelistic questions, such as: “Do you think you are a good person?” “If you were to die today, do you think you would go to Heaven?”
These questions, she retold, completely closed the door of Christianity that she had just gingerly began to poke her foot through. She said it was later that she saw the values of Christianity, how she agreed with so much of the sermons, how she admired the humility of the brothers, the pastors, of men who were willing to testify and hold true to these values (PTL faithfulchurch). Had she known about what Christianity was before, she’d probably have been more opened to it.
A lot of interesting ideas came after… of how Christianity and religion should be incorporated more in the culture so that secular people could benefit from them, and even that she could probably do more as a non-Christian and ‘evangelize’ to someone than the entire body of Living Water. She claimed this was possible through being flexible, and making a connection with the person, communicating with the correct word choice with that person.
She also expressed somewhat of a frustration in not understanding things of the… Spirit (except not in these words). She retold of an experience she had when she was young, of reading the bible, but feeling that the Bible was so foreign and alien with its thee’s and thy’s as well as with its contents. I had no idea how to explain to her that these things are revealed through the Spirit without making her feel like an outsider. Because, that was the cry of her heart beneath it. She feels that she’s “not on the same page” as those who understand it, and feels that there needs to be a teacher of it. And now I see that I could’ve said something like, “God will teach you” or simply ask her if she wanted to read it together and make its understanding be known.
We discussed so much more, from marriage, to dating, to culture … for about 3 hours straight. And I barely talked, I listened for most of the time. For the first two hours, I didn’t say a single thing.
I realize that we need to know the basics of the basics. And that is to LOVE as Jesus loved. We say this all the time, but I want to truly see the person in front of me and love them as God sees them. I truly marveled at her for coming all this way by herself without God (although, I think God was revealing these things to her heart). And how can I condemn them from not loving God, from loving the things of this world… when they are lost? I will have compassion and approach them as Paul said to. With love and flexibility, with respect, with honor, with compassion. And with ingenuity. I do realize the need to address sin and death, because that is why we need Jesus, and that is the power of the gospel, but to play into the cultural stereotype of Christianity is foolishness.
So, how can I share with people the reality of God, the reality of HIS LOVE and what his message actually is to people?
To make them feel comfortable, safe so that they can feel free to ask questions…
may require TIME and LOVE.
…and more brainstorming and prayer.
Thank you Lord for tonight. Would you seal it all in your Holy Spirit.
We pray for more!
Wowowowow… what a weekend.
So much was learned, I don’ t want to forget a SINGLE detail or insight gained… And I want to document it all before like sand they sift away through my fingers…
Experience:
tempted and worried about eating when not hungry, ended up evangelizing to someone.
Lesson:
If you are always submitting, you won’t have time to sin.
So, when you are tempted, serve God.
Encounter:
Met Anthony who has been standing with a giant white cross on Frat Row every Friday night for 4 years, speaking to passer-bys about Jesus.
Nuggets Given:
-With the temptation, God will provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13)
KNOW YOUR BIBLE. MEMORIZE IT!
-We are “fishing” for people, not scattering seeds. We are there to encounter seekers, those that God has called. whichmeansnopressure!:D
-Ask How Questions, “How is your relationship with the Lord?” “How are you doing with the Lord?” “How is He working in your life?”
Wisdom Received:
(Prayer teaching)
-If you are in sin, then ask God for discipline.
For if you are a leader, Satan will be setting you up for a much greater fall. How utterly scary.
-Strengthen the inner man. Do you know what your soul feels like? … most americans don’t. You cannot separate the body, the soul, and the mind.
Let scriptures soak into your SOUL, let it become like life; let it become real to your soul. Holy Spirit must reveal it to your inner man for you to accept Christ and know his revelations. :) Amen!
-Man’s greatest, most noblest aspiration and calling is to seek out the unsearchable riches of God…
“It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out” prbs 20:2;
“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in the temple.” This ‘seek’ means to “seek and seek and seek and seek…”
-“Nothing but the whole bible can make a whole Christian.”
- Understand the SANCTITY of God’s WORD. Ask, “Why does God input this phrase? if it is to last for eternity? What does the Holy Spirit want to tell me through this verse?”
-Be not like Martha, who was busy and anxious with HER ministries, rather than just LISTEN to the Lord. Come to the Scriptures without any agenda, and let GOD and his word speak to you.
- Intimacy is commitment.
and Experienced:
-The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8. Let the Spirit lead… and he led me to Camell, a Catholic girl yet thirsty for Living water; Jessica, a former sg member that doesn’t attend church; Sophie, wanting to find a community in sg and lg; and Cate, former roommate that accepted Christ and is now living in a Christian sorority… all in one night.
Caffeine during Class:
open up the bible and read…
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood… Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (heb.12:4,12)
Rocks that are geodes:
“strength will rise as we sleep upon the Lord” PJosh
Someone just liked my post from a couple months ago when I wrote about quotes from Captivating. I reread my post and now I remember why I love that book so much haha.
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“We need to grow in our understanding and practice of spiritual warfare not only because we are being attacked but because it…
I just “evangelized” to my roommate at dinner.
I was convicted after prayer to evangelize…. grab everyone, shake them by the shoulders, and tell them by goodness of Christ.
But, oh, how I lack love. How I still lack zeal and urgency.
I need to take this seriously, commit myself, practice, pray.
Teach me dear Lord to LOVE…
because I don’t know the the basics of the basics.
Simply getting out there isn’t enough. :) may i be zealous for your glory!
no matter what happens Lord, I will delight in you.
:)
For you are my Rock.
