God’s Rhythm of Rest
And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.
And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day.
And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.
And there was evening, and there was morning, the fourth day.
And there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day
And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
(Genesis 1:5b, 8b, 13, 19, 23, 31b).
There is a sacred rhythm to God’s created order. We know this story well, and we get the point of the creation narrative as it is recorded in the Book of Genesis, chapter 1. We think we know this story well, and we think we get the point. But actually, I’m not sure that we do.
Did you happen to notice that in the Book of Genesis each day begins not with the rising of the sun, but with the setting of the sun. Each day begins in the evening, which is then followed by the next morning. “And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day”. Just pause for a moment and give that rhythm some consideration.
What if God, in this sacred rhythm of time, is asking us to begin our days, not with work, but with rest. In God’s economy the gift of God’s rest always comes first, which is then followed by the sacred gift of work.
From Genesis chapter 1, we learn an important principle to put into practice.
“We are to work from our rest, and not rest from our work”.
During these Forty Days of Lent, in this Year of Rest, I am going to ponder that principle, and ask God to help me to find ways to put it into practice. I invite you to come and join me. “We are to work from our rest, and not rest from our work”.
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