“In the beginning” is such a common phrase to hear when the topic of God and the world’s formation comes into conversation. Another thing we hear often is…“and on the seventh day God rested.” What comes to our minds when we hear that “…God rested.” A dangerous thing to think is that God took the day off! We must understand that if God took the day off, then we would cease to exist! “So from what did God rest,” you may ask? HE rested from creating! HE continued to work through HIS Creation. HE continued the rotation of the Sun, moon and stars (earth, too!) If the earth slowed down due to God resting, we might all get whiplash! Not really! (We’d just die – that’s better, right?) So if God rested from creating on the seventh day, was it a stop of creation all together or does HE stop just every seventh day or what? And if God just rested on the seventh day then what is HE still creating. Scripture shows us a few things that shed some light on what God is doing, realizing these things should bring us to more awe of HIS love for us.
The first thing I want to draw your attention to is found in the book of Lamentations (3:22-23) “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed. For HIS compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Concerning this passage, J.F. Walvoord & R.B. Zuck in The Bible knowledge commentary writes… “God offered a fresh supply of loyal love every day to His covenant people.”
Every day God is working – working on HIS love to you and I. The picture I want to give you is not a created love every day, but a continued love, a compassionate love.
Next, look at Amos 4:13 “He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name.” Wow! Is that incredible or what? God creates the wind. Lately, we have had an abundance of rain. I have noticed that almost every day after the big rains we have had, God brings windy days to help dry up the soaked land. What an amazing God we have, who renews (recreates) HIS love for us every day along with a fresh wind (Is this a reminder of the Holy Spirit?) God is still working not resting!
One other thought about what God is doing (working, creating) for us…Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” Keith Green, gospel singer, wrote “If it only took God 6 days to make earth, and HE has been working over 6000 years on Heaven think how great it must be.” I don’t know if I totally agree with the theology of that statement, but do you see the incredible thought process of God working for you, your greater good. This place will be gone one day – I can’t wait for the finished product, my true home.
Finally, my last thought, God cares too much about you and I to sit back and rest. HIS love compels HIM to give us HIS best every day. The seventh day God rested from all HIS work, but a new week started the next day and HE went back to work for HIS creation! God is in love – powerfully in love with you! May you rest in that thought!
