God Desires
God Desired Rest – Part 1

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:1-9

Key Verse: Genesis 2:7

the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

As we study the creation story, we begin to understand what God desires. God is a God of emotions; remember we are made in His image, thus we have emotions as He does. Our emotions, of course, are not as pure as His are because of the sin that entered the bloodline of Adam and Eve. As the Apostle James wrote: “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:13-14). God’s emotions are without stain and He has desires, especially when it comes to us, His prized creation.

First, as we begin our study of chapter two, we see that God desires rest. So the creation had been completed; God’s work was done and He rested. God wanted to have a break from the work He had been doing. This is a concept we don’t often discuss, God Almighty desired rest. Did He need to rest? Is God weak, desperate for a break? Obviously God could have skipped a day of rest; He chose not to. God didn’t have to have a day of rest, but He desired one! God has the wisdom of the Universe and understood the wonderful benefits of rest from daily work.

This leads to the relevant question; do we all understand the essential benefits of a day of rest? Just the title of an article in Fortune magazine is telling: “Why Americans just won’t take time off!” (Continued)

Father, thank you for instructing your children to enjoy a day of rest! In Jesus’ name, amen.