Genesis 2:1–3, 8 (NIV84)
1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done… 8Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
Exodus 20:8–11 (NIV84)
8“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
There is a persistent notion, inherited from the ancient Greeks and subtly endorsed by our modern worship of leisure, that work is, at best, a necessary evil. For the high-minded Greek philosophers, the gods did not toil; they left such demeaning things to humanity. Labor, especially manual labor that involved the stuff of the earth, was seen as beneath a being of any true worth. How utterly astonishing, then, is the portrait of God in Genesis. Here is a God who works.
The text does not shy away from this. It states plainly that on the seventh day, God rested from all the work He had done. In fact, He puts in what we might call a full work-week. This single idea ought to revolutionize our view of labor. Work is not a curse that fell upon humanity; it is an activity that finds its origin in the character of God Himself. It therefore possesses a divine and unshakable dignity.
Notice, too, the kind of work God does. He is not merely a distant commander issuing orders. The text says He “planted a garden.” This is the work of a manual laborer, one who gets His hands in the dust of the ground—the very dust He would soon use to form man. In a world that so often creates a dishonorable hierarchy of labor—placing “information” work on a pedestal while despising the farmer, the builder, or the mother—this image is a radical corrective. It tells us that all work that cultivates, creates, and brings order from chaos is a reflection of divine activity. The carpenter’s craft, in this light, is no less noble than the philosopher’s logic. In complete contradiction to the ancient world’s view, the God of the Hebrews comes into the world not as a king demanding ease, but as a carpenter with sawdust on his clothes.
Reflect, Share & Pray: How does the knowledge that God Himself is a worker, who finds dignity and purpose in His labor, reshape your attitude toward your own daily tasks, whether paid or unpaid? Talk to God about your attitude toward work.
God who is all powerful the creator who does not need to do anything, is doing manual labor without complaining and still putting his all to create these beautiful things. He does not gain anything from it but we do he made it for us. I believe that we should be more like him and when doing anything important or not we should always put our all into it and following God’s work ethic. Doing work does not mean you are below someone or it’s for people below you. That is not what he teaches us. We are all the same and I want to thank you God for being the creator and leading by example for all of us down here while we do everything in your name.
Seeing God as a worker who works in “lowly” affairs is very reassuring. It means that no matter the “level” of work that I do, it can bring glory to God. My current views of work is the same as what was stated in the devotional. I think in all work we do we should give glory to God. I am very thankful for the work I get to do at the hospital right now and thank God for it frequently.
Dear God, I thank You for Your view on work. May I continue to work to glorify Your name in all that I do. As a nurse anesthetist, may I take away the pain of my patients and help to wake up smoothly from surgery pain free. Amen.
-timmy
(from Roger)
This passage is a powerful resonant reminder to me that work itself is part of God’s “good” creation. It isn’t something to escape from or despise, but something that reflects his very character. Lord, thank You for showing me that work is not a curse but a reflection of your very own nature. Forgive me when I complain (and I definitely have a tendency to) or treat my responsibilities as meaningless. Help me to see the divinity and dignity in every task, big or small, paid or unpaid. Teach me to honor you in my labor and to rest joyfully in you when the sabbath comes. I pray that my work and foundational learning I am currently undertaking pays off and brings blessings to others as you have to us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
From Kellee
Growing up, my parents always taught me that hard work is necessary to grow a person’s integrity, compassion, sense of appreciation and understanding. I’m daily trying to pass that down to my children also. Knowing that God did hard work too only affirms that no one is above work. Our Father worked hard to create the universe and His children so that we may spread his good work and good Word.
It is important what kind of work we do…Dignified and purposeful work is important to God. However, as much as it is important to work, it is also important to take a break such as God did on the 7th day. Sometimes we’re so busy working that we forget that our Father intended us to rest as well. Only very recently did I start appreciating and practicing Sabbath. It is pure joy and such a blessing to have one day to rest, relax, refresh and regain perspective.
God, thank you for the opportunity to work, but also thank you for blessing me with rest as well. I pray that the work that I do during the work week glorifies your name and your purpose. Please continue to guide me as I daily try to read and listen to your Word.
From Tina:
Reflection & Prayer – 9/16 Tina
God as a worker continues to solidify my beliefs that there’s a purpose in every task that I do and it’s within God’s hands.
I don’t see coming to work every day as work because I love helping the families of children with disabilities, I love mentoring and learning from new clinicians, etc. I thank God everyday for giving me opportunities to make meaningful impact in children’s lives whether it’s from a mundane things as helping them to learn to manipulate a Ziploc to open their snacks! Today’s reading is another reminder that God put me where I am professionally for a reason, to spread his love and hope to children and families that at time need it the most. And for me to learn from them to appreciate the typical and simple blessings in my life. Having my kids being able to call me “mommy” or respond to their names is a blessing. It takes hard work from a team and sometimes months for a child at my work to master that skill! I thank God for these daily tasks and lessons.
I pray to the lord to never lose my joy and faith in the work and task that I do everyday. I lift myself to Him so that he can continue guiding me to do the right things, make the right choices, and not forget to appreciate the simplicity of daily lives. I also pray for the families, children, and clinicians I work with to always have faith in the Lord. That he’s the most intimate yet majestic creator who always watches over us, no matter what we do and where we are. In Jesus name, Amen!
Recently I posted a meme on my IG where the character makes a meh face Monday through Friday while he is at work. I often feel this way at work and especially for some reason this week. Reading today’s passage and commentary kicked my butt! I must repent!
Work is created to be a blessing and here I am complaining about it.
I imagined my students as my garden also as God “planted a garden.” I imagined each student as a flower, plant, even a weed 😂 (it’s true!) and as I nurture my garden that God has given me, I am reminded to water, nurture and groom daily in order that I may produce an abundance of blessing! Forgive me, Lord! Joyce
Our Heavenly Father worked and even got his hands dirty. Our Lord worked with his hands as a carpenter. Whether I’m working with my mind at the clinic/hospital or putting together toys for Niko, the fact that God works brings dignity to my paid and unpaid work . “Father, help me to approach work with a commitment to excellence and a joyful attitude because I know that you have commissioned me for it.”
It’s intriguing for me to see God works six days and rests on the seventh day rather than finishes all work in one day and rests six days. I believe God has the power to get everything done in a split of second, but why God chose to balance work and life like that? I believe there is definitely a purpose for God to set an example like that. I pray God helps me to see his purpose of working and sabbathing. I want to be consistent in working like God and keeping the seventh day holy for God.