May the mumbling commence!
After a week of non-stop activity with Tech Week for a stage production, I find myself gravitating to the seventh day of creation. There is something about Sabbath that is like an oasis in this 24-7 world that we live in. There is something to cherish there – something that speaks volumes to the upside-down world that we live in. Read from the beginning of Genesis chapter two:
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation. (Verses 1-3)
There is something powerful about resting after finishing a task. God did the work of creation and recognized it as good. Being made in the image of God, we too are active in the work of creation. We too should take time to enjoy the goodness of a task well completed. God calls this time to rest and appreciate what’s been done holy. It is set apart for us… set apart to spend time with God and with one another.
Take that 24-7 world! I can slow down and enjoy life. I will not lose ground. I will gain the only ground worth gaining. I will move closer to the Lord and trust that out of God’s bounty there will be provision for all of us.
Trust in the Lord. That is an essential concept to cultivate and grow in our lives. In the Garden of Eden, God planted two trees in the center of the Garden – the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The only tree forbidden for us to partake was the tree of knowledge. So do we choose to trust God that our Creator has our best interests in mind? It means eternal life for us. Remember the tree of life was not forbidden… at least not until the fruit of the tree of knowledge was eaten. Do we trust the will of the Lord? Read later from Genesis chapter two:
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. But the Lord God gave him this warning: "You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die." (Verses 15-17)
Rest in the knowledge that our Creator has our best interests in mind. Rest in that knowledge even when the results seem to be humiliating. Think of the predicament that Joseph found himself in when he learned that Mary was pregnant by someone else. Read from Matthew chapter one:
As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. (Verses 20-25)
The angel of the Lord commanded, and Joseph listened and obeyed. It is that simple trust that we should emulate. It is a trust that joins us to the creative process of our Lord. It brings prophecies to life. So rest in the Lord. There’s no better place to be.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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