work

This week we began a short series on work and discovered first that work began in the very heart and nature of God. The first verse of the Word begins with God working and it continues through the creation account. Gen. 2:2 states, "by the seventh day God completed His work..." We also noticed that God created Adam and gave him work to do and declared it GOOD. I mentioned Exodus 31:17 - a verse that we have considered several times in our studies on Sabbath rest - and I have been considering it this past week in regards to work.

"... on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."

Ex. 31:17

What does it mean that God is refreshed? Was He somehow depleted from His work in creation? God can't be depleted - He doesn't get worn out - He sure wasn't weary and in need of a nap. I think of refreshed as getting back something lost but perhaps it is more about the delight one receives when experiencing something good like the refreshment of a cold glass of water during a hot Tucson afternoon. When God ceased - maybe He experienced the delight both of work well done as well as the delight of laying the  completed work down.

In a world now marked by sin in which its effects are often most evident in our work - where is the refreshment? For many, work depletes, drains and causes a deep weariness. Is refreshment the weekend - a time of not "working" - somehow that is a far cry from the refreshment evidenced in Ex. 31. I believe our God is about redemption and it would seem that redemption would touch something as important to the heart of God as work. Here on this side of the cross God still opens a door to finding refreshment both in our labor as well as in laying it down  - yes - delight in work - deep, abiding delight and refreshment.

So what is the key? I think there are several but one that we might consider for a time shows up in Acts 3:19 where it states "that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." When we begin to see that there is no sacred/secular divide - that every area of our lives are places of His presence, places of His work, places of worship - that everu "work" He calls us to is holy - when we begin to get that - we find delight in the most unexpected places - even work.