Can you believe it? It only took God six days to complete the heavens and the earth in all their vast array! ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested. 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 2:1-3. What was God doing on the seventh day. Why did He even bother to include it in this narrative? Was He tired?
No, as Matthew Henry wrote in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, ‘The eternal God, though infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, yet took a satisfaction in the work of his own hands. He did not rest, as one weary, but as one well-pleased with the instances of his own goodness and the manifestations of his own glory.’ I’m an artist. A creator in His image and there have been times after I finished a sculpture, that I simply sat back and admired the work of my hands. (Gave myself a hand clap as it were.) Yes, God gave me my artistic ability, but I showed up and did the work. And for that I deserve a hand clap.
In other words, on the seventh day, God gave Himself a gigantic hand clap!
And that is exactly what the seventh day is for! The seventh day, or sabbath in Hebrew is a gift from God! A day to rest from our work, but it is also a ‘holy’ day. A day set aside, separated and distinguished from the rest of the days of the week. Consecrated to God to do as God Himself did, contemplate His wonderous works! A day reserved just for Him, set aside to worship and praise Him. A day to give Him a ‘hand clap’.
It is a ‘blessed day’ because God blessed it. And obeying God by ‘keeping the sabbath holy’ brings you many, many blessings!
These devo’s are about opening up to the ‘10,000 truths’ that are all around us! Have you noticed all the cars lining up around the block to order food from Chick-fil-A? Did you ever ask yourself why they are so busy? Their success is a living testament to the truth of God’s word! He said He would prosper you if you ‘followed His commands.’
‘Retail Chick-fil-A’ by ccPixs.com is
licensed under CC BY 2.0. He said, ‘I will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.’ Deuteronomy 28:8. Chick-fil-A obeys Gods fourth commandment, ‘remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ They are closed on Sunday! Their founder, Truett Cathy said, “closing our business on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him. I believe God honors our decision and sets before us unexpected opportunities to do greater work for Him because of our loyalty.”
Experts say being closed on Sunday is actually a good business decision because it conveys a sense of caring and community to their customers. And, because they are only open six days a week, customers are persuaded to come back with a greater sense of urgency.
Receive this gift of rest. Honor His commandment to ‘remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ and receive His promise to bless you too!
I would encourage you to read the following list of blessings that flow from obedience!!!!!
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him.
10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14.
PRETTY AMAZING!!!!
Amen! What a happy word for this beautiful day of rest! Thank you!
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Thank God for His day of rest. Another aspect of a day of rest is that we surrender our lives to Him by not working those few extra hours to get ahead, rather surrender to Him and trust in His provision and care. So it becomes an act of faith. In the Jewish tradition it also is a contrast to when in Biblical times that community were slaves in Egypt, no days of rest. Then with their freedom came the ability to have a day of rest. To rest on the Sabbath is to embrace the freedom Christ has purchased for us!
KB
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