Inspired by Genesis 1:20-2:4a
“And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:2-3
Most of us will probably complain that there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week to do what needs to be done. We’re so busy with jobs, errands, household tasks, family obligations, and maintaining social relationships that we simply don’t have time to just stop and rest.
But we were created in the image of God, and God rested after a hard week of work. God created not only the world and everything in it, but he also created the very days by which that work was measured. In all God created seven days—six in which he worked, and one on which he rested—and of those seven days only the day of rest was specifically blessed.
Keeping a Sabbath day of rest is not a legalistic commandment loaded with rules and prohibitions which must be observed. Keeping a Sabbath day of rest is a gift of God to us, on top of the whole creation he’s already given into our care. God created the world that he turned over to us for our stewardship; he knows how difficult our work is. And he also knows that a day of rest, blessed and hallowed by him, is not a shirking of our duties, but a recognition of all the gifts God has given us.
Let us pray. Gracious God, you know how difficult our work is. Help us to observe the day of rest you have blessed us with, that we may be refreshed and renewed as we begin anew each week of caring for your wondrous creation. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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