There are expressions in the Bible that, when read quickly, can easily create confusion. Genesis 2:2 is one of them:
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. »(Genesis 2:2)
At first glance, this might suggest that God, like a human being, needed to sit down and regain His strength. But Scripture itself corrects this idea: “He will not grow tired or weary.” (Isaiah 40:28).
So what does it really mean that God “rested”?
From the very beginning, the biblical Hebrew uses a remarkable word: shābat, which does not mean “to sleep,” “to recover,” or “to be exhausted.” It means to cease, to stop, to put an end to an activity because it is completed and perfect.
God’s rest is not the rest of a tired worker; it is the rest of a Creator who pauses to behold the harmony of His finished work. He does not step back because He is worn out; He steps back because nothing is missing.
This truth completely reshapes our understanding of God’s nature.
He is not a limited being who suffers from physical needs. He has no weakness, no decline in energy, no moment of exhaustion. He is the One who upholds the universe without losing strength. He is the One who carries us even when we are too weak to carry ourselves.
And yet, this tireless God chose to teach us rest.
Not the rest of fatigue, but the rest of trust—a rest in which we stop trying to control everything, a rest that acknowledges that He has already prepared all things. This is why He gave the Sabbath: a day to remember that God is sufficient, that His works are perfect, and that our lives rest in His powerful hands.
God’s rest is not a sign of weakness.
It is an invitation:
Join Me in trust.
Stop striving.
Let Me be God.
PRAYER:
Lord God, You who never grow weary, teach me to rest in You.
Help me lay down my worries, my inner struggles, and my unnecessary efforts, so that I may enter the peace You offer.
Let my heart pause to contemplate Your perfect work in my life.
Amen.
Apostle Dr Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA