Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Thursday, April 30, 2015
Based Upon Genesis 2:1-3
The creation of God was perfect in every way. He moved out into the darkness and commanded light to appear, and it was so. His essence breached the darkness since the heavenly bodies had not yet been created. The next six days would prove to be nothing short of astounding. From His emanating light would erupt creative power. All that we see now and more would be called into existence. Vegetation, dry land, water, every species of creature, and all of the heavenly bodies would obey His command and assume their positions.
Once all of this was complete, God crowned His work as Creator and molded humankind. The man Adam was created from the dust of the ground, and God shared His own breath with him making him a living being. After Adam agreed with the names God had in mind for all of the creatures, God caused him to fall into a deep sleep. He took a rib from Adam and made a woman, the mother of all living, and brought her to him (Genesis 2:21, 22). Adam called her woman, because she was taken from man. She was indeed created for man.
Finally, the holy couple was ready. They had all of the things they needed in order to live blissful lives, except one. The Bible says that God rested on the seventh day, setting it aside as holy. He prepared a special time for His children to come aside from their everyday activities for something special. Truly, God set this time aside for the benefit of man, that is, humankind.
“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27).
Four thousand years later, when humankind forgot the purpose of Sabbath time, Jesus reminded them.
Can you imagine what the first Sabbath must have been like? I imagine the Creator coming to His new children and opening many of the mysteries of the universe to their prefect minds. I can see them in awe of the One who loved them so much that He provided everything they needed, and then set them in the midst to enjoy it all. The songs that they sang together must have been glorious. How does a voice untouched by sin sound? Their gratitude must have been pure and sincere. They had no need of a pastor. God Himself was with them face to face.
If the perfect pair needed the blessings of the Sabbath, how much more do we, during this time in earth’s history? Sabbath is a special time for us to be re-energized by God. As we worship Him daily, we look forward to the seventh day, which He made holy, to worship Him on a higher level. We are able to worship without the burden of ordinary, everyday thoughts. We truly come aside and rest. I praise the Lord for that rest. How about you?
