“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3).
TEXT — Genesis 2:1-5
Message
The following was contributed by Sermon Central on Labour Day, January 1, 2000. “Our most notorious industrial accidents in recent years—Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, the fatal navigational error of Korean Air Lines 007—all occurred in the middle of the night. When the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian A300 airbus killing all 290 people aboard, fatigue-stressed operators in the high-tech Combat Information Center on the carrier misinterpreted radar data and repeatedly told their captain the jet was descending as if to attack when in fact the airliner remained on a normal flight path. In the Challenger space shuttle disaster, key NASA officials made the ill-fated decision to go ahead with the launch after working twenty hours straight and getting only two to three hours of sleep in the night…” Lack of sufficient rest was thus attributed to all these unfortunate incidents that led to substantial loss of precious lives.
Our text shows that God rested from His work, having completed the creative work. He blessed and sanctified the seventh day. As we apply this scriptural principle, we experience spiritual and physical rejuvenation. Our spirit and body are refreshed and renewed. We regain vitality and strength. Our focus is sharpened and our determination is restored.
Rest is good. Rest is scriptural. Rest is of God. Not only does the Scripture prescribe it, but God Himself observed rest after six days of marathon creativity. For Him, resting is setting an eternal example for man. For man, it is not a process to ignore. Observing it will help us to last longer and become more productive.
The Lord blesses us and our work as we think of Him and His blessings over us. We spend this resting day worshipping and pondering over life, prioritising God in all we do. God is the essence of living, not our work.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Very very enriching. My family is enjoying this Daily Manna.
Very very enriching. My family is enjoying this Daily Manna.