"On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work."

Genesis 2:2

Though we tend to think of God creating the world in six days and then resting on the seventh, the Hebrew of Genesis 2:2 makes it clear that God finished his work by resting. In other words, though the heavens and the earth and all that filled them had been created in six days, God's work wasn't over until he rested.

Rest isn't just something that happens when the job is done, but is somehow part of finishing our work. In rest, we recharge our batteries so that we might work again. Moreover, we reflect upon the meaning of our work and delight in what we have accomplished.

If God rested on the seventh day as the last step of his work, what does this suggest about our work? How important is rest, true rest, to us? Why?

PRAYER: O Lord, if you rested on the seventh day, how much more ought we to rest! Yet, we confess that we often keep on working, using what should be our Sabbath as a time to catch up on other tasks. Thus we fail to step back, to reflect, to find meaning in our work. Plus we exhaust ourselves through endless activity. Forgive us, Lord, for our failure to imitate your example of rest. Teach us how to finish our work by resting. Lead us into your true rest. Amen.