Rest

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (Genesis 2:2-3).

Mercy and Truth are Met Together (William Blake)

Work can get busy for many people and during those busy times people often plan for holidays and think about what they can do to relax.  There is no sin in this, and in fact, it is a very healthy thing to be able to be able to take a break from work and have time to rest.  It is so important that God Himself told us to rest and set an example of that for us.  After all, during the creation of the world it was certainly not essential for God to rest.  God is perfect and complete.  He does not need to take time to recover.  Creating the world took no effort from God because God is complete in and of Himself.  That means that He is not made less (as we are) when He does something.  While we need to exert effort to make something or make something happen, God does not need to do this.  God can make things happen without there being any impact on Him at all.

So, if I take an example…  I might be able to make a cake.  To do this, I need to collect groceries and then put them together for the cake.  I might need to mix things and read things.  I might need to wait by the oven until everything is finished.  I might burn a hand or knock an elbow in the process of making things.  All of these things can make me less in some way…  And even if they did not, I need to exchange money for the ingredients of the cake and to pay for the power to heat the oven and cook the cake.  I need to trade my time for the creation of the cake.  After all, I cannot instantly create the cake.  Even if I made a cake using a packet, it would still take time to assemble the ingredients.  Even if I had a magical way of preparing a cake or could simply eat a pre-made cake, it would still take me time to open the packet and put the food into my mouth.

God is not like that.

When God made the world He did not need to spend any time on it.  He is outside of time and space.  God is eternal and unchanging.  He did not sweat while He was gathering up all the stars int eh sky or putting some creatures beneath the water and others in the air and still others on the ground.  He did not get tired.  He did not get bored.  God did not change through this creation.  And yet, even so, He chose to have a day of rest…

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:2-3).

And I have been thinking about that today.

Because God – who did not need it – rested, because I do.

What greater love could there be than that?

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.