Great VersesSample

God rested

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 did not rest on the seventh day because he was tired or weary. Omnipotence does not get weary. Rather, God rested because he was finished. His work of creation was completed, but God also rested for our sakes. We needed to see the rhythm of work and rest. He rested for our sakes, not for his.

The Bible says God blessed the Sabbath and made it holy. In what sense is the Sabbath holy? Well, it is special. It is God’s gift to us. A day of rest and worship, a day to pray and play. A day to stop working. God designed you for a regular day of rest, one day in seven. Your body needs it. Your mind needs it. Your soul needs it. But the Sabbath is more than an absence of work; it is also the presence of worship. It is a day to live in God’s presence, a day of drawing close to God. We need our souls restored, and that only comes when we touch God and let God breathe life into us.

At the outset of the Bible, God gives men and women work. This means work is inherently good, not evil nor a consequence of the fall. Work was created before the fall. In fact, we are image bearers of the God who works. Work is part of our design. We need work. We are not fully alive without work.

This is not to say that we need a job. We do not need a paying job to be fully alive, but we do need work, whether it is housework, schoolwork, volunteer work, or a paying job.

Our work matters to God. He wants this work to be fulfilling and not frustrating. How does our work become a source of fulfillment? When we work for God. If we do our work to please and honor Him, then that work becomes an act of worship. A classic tale that represents this idea is that of the medieval construction supervisor who asked three of his workers about their tasks. The first worker replied, “I am laying bricks.” He went a little farther along and asked the second worker, who replied, “I am building a wall.” He went farther along and asked the third worker, who replied, “I am building a great cathedral for the glory of God.” The third worker had it right. He found deliverance from drudgery because his work became worship. In all things, work for the Lord.