The Seventh Day

01/16/2006

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                  Focus:  The seventh day.

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 2:1-3

            Message of the verse:  “1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.  2  By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  3  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

            Verse on declares that all of God’s creation was complete, and it was complete in six days as is written in Exodus 20:11:  “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”  This word Sabbath was not used until Exodus, but it does seem that Israel knew that the seventh or Sabbath was something that was Holy to the Lord.  God rested on the seventh day not because He was tired, for God is never tired or weary, (Isa. 40:28), but God rested because His work was done, and Dr. Wiersbe believes that because there is no mention of evening and morning of the seventh day, that this rest was suppose to last forever, but because of man’s sin it did not.  Jesus speaks of the work that He was doing as well as the work that His Father was doing in John 5:9 & 17. 

            Verse three says that God blessed the seventh day and set it apart and the reason was that He rested from all of His work.  The text speaks of the day being sanctified, which means to set apart.  There are many things that can be sanctified or set apart for the work of the Lord, including buildings, and people, even one of God’s names means sanctified, “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”  God set apart Israel, and I believe that every believer in the Church age is set apart of sanctified to the Lord for service to Him. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would like to start out by saying that selfishness is probably one of, if not the biggest sin that I struggle with.  With that been said it is extremely disappointing to me when I sin in this area because I have been set apart for the work of the Lord, and should be willing to serve Him in any way at any time, because I have been set apart for His service.  Romans 12:1-2 pretty much sums this entire thing up:  “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Word of God has been very challenging to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to seek the will of the Lord concerning what it is that He wants me to do about our job situation, whether to continue on at the church or to go with HRSG when they get a job.  I surely need the Lord to direct my path.