Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 6, 2019
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3
In some ways our work seems to never be done. As a pastor’s wife for ten years, with four small girls in tow, Rita’s work as a mom felt like the constant flow of ocean waves crashing against the shore. “Boyd”, she would lament, “Sunday is my busiest, most stressful day of the week”. My bride was the ultimate team player, but tired. In many ways as a “ministry widow”, she labored most intensely on the day the Lord had set aside for rest. Wow, can a mother truly ever rest?
Reflecting on the sequence of God’s work of creation the word “finished” lodged deep in my heart this Easter morning. I prayed, “God it’s easy for you to finish your work, after all you are the master Creator—all necessary resources originate in you–with a spoken “word”, Voila! Done. The genius of the Lord’s creation is its completion, and its ongoing ability to reproduce and bear fruit. Work initiated by God carries His blessing and beauty that directs us to the divine. When we co-labor with Christ, we can rest when He says rest, trusting He will take care of the rest.
“There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9-11).
Upon further reflection, His patient Holy Spirit assures me that “Christ in me” contains all the resources I need to fulfill the work the Lord had called me to complete. Whatever my role in life, I can lean into the Lord and others for the needed resources to do His work. Looking back, I could have helped my sweetie in her struggles as a “ministry widow”. Sadly, I valued people’s approval over my people’s approval. Mercifully, God’s grace filled in the gaps of my insecurities.
In our Creator’s grand design for work, we never finish the work, until we make it safely home to heaven. Yet, in His infinite wisdom, He calls us to experience the weekly rhythm of His rest, by resting in and enjoying the fruits of our labor, with the weekly satisfaction of a job well done. Like a massive jigsaw puzzle that is never complete, we celebrate the pieces we connected over the past six days. A small object revealed or vertical and horizontal edges connected, we can rest in what was accomplished. When children leave home, we remain parents, but we can catch our breath, rest, and perhaps enjoy the fruit of grandchildren. It’s Christ who consummates our work.
“I [Jesus] have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, by faith I rest in you, so I can rest from my work, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Where in life do I need to stop striving and trust that God is at work around me?
Related Reading
Exodus 20:11; Psalm 95:11; Matthew 11:28-30; Revelation 14:13
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When we co-labor with Christ, we can rest when He says rest, trusting He will take care of the rest. #wisdomhunters #rest
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