Saturday, February 8, 2014
Remembering The Future
When we celebrate the sabbath by resting, it is a testimony to what God has done. I like to try to think about what that must have been like.
Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God looked at everything and it pleased Him. It must have been most excellent! Lush green watered by a fog that came up from the ground. Warm. Fruits and vegetables readily available to eat. Walking around with lions and tigers and bears (O my!) and knowing that they would do what you say AND they were vegetarians, too. Imagine mosquitoes that only bit plants! Yes! And streams and pools of water that you could dip your hands into that would be clear, clean, and drinkable. So then God decided to rest and set a day apart as special, almost like an exclamation point!
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 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.
Here is a really great part. God has a plan to restore all things.
Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
What does all things mean? I suggest it means at least our reunited with God on a planet that is not as messed up as the one we have today, where there is peace. A place where everyone has what they need, people are happy within themselves and happy to be with other people. There will be no war and killing. And we will enter into rest with God.
The sabbath is not just about the time that God took after creation. It is not just about taking a day off each week. We do celebrate those things, but it is also a celebration of the future. It includes looking to that day when we will serve God face to face, forever in peace. If we can let ourselves live in that space, we can remember that future!
Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as out King! Thank You for the sabbath rest You have given to us. Thank You for the blessings You place upon us. Thank You for all You have done for us and do every day. Please be with us like a Dad today. Please give to us our healing and provision for this day. Please guide and keep us in Your ways. We love You. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.