The 'REST' of "HIS STORY" - PEACE - 1

Back in 2001 I was 'drawn in' to a mission trip to India to help lead out with sharing Jesus with young people and children. During that trip our Indian friends wanted us to visit a very large Hindu temple with the idea that it might help us get a better feel of the Indian 'culture'. I wasn't real interested but finally ended up going through the temple. Partly because of a book I had read called "The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hyslop, thAt trip changed the direction of my life. No I didn't convert to Hinduism. But as I listened as the guide told us the story of each 'god' or 'goddess' and my mind validated the information from the book mentioned, I realized more fully that the people in this 'religion' learn most of what they know by story. And this form of religious 'training' - sharing stories - may well be one of the most effective modes for religious instruction. As I walked and listened, the thought impressed itself on my mind: "Why couldn't we share 'HIS STORY - the Creator God of the Universe' rather than just 'sharing' doctrine when doing 'evangelism. " To make a long story short in May of 2002 our son, Carl, accompanied me as I returned to India to share "HIS STORY - the Creator God of the Universe". And since that second trip to India an expanded 'edition' of 30 parts has been printed - HIS STORY - the Creator God of the Universe. (If anyone is interested let me know and I will be happy to share them with you.)

What does that have to do with the 'rest' of His story? Let me share what I have been learning. I am going to presume that those who read this know some of HIS STORY - the Creator God of the Universe. (If you would like to learn more, let me know.) One of the earliest recorded encounters of the Creator God of the Universe with this planet had to do with when He 'created it to be inhabited'. As a quick review the first day God created 'light'; the second day He created an envelope of life-sustaining atmosphere to surround this planet; the third day He used His interior decorating skills by first separating water from dry land and then speaking into existence flowers, trees. grass and all other living 'decorations' to beautify planet earth. On the fourth day God installed the lighting system - the sun for the day and the moon for night with a whole network of lighting called stars to make ambient lighting to make the 'night' more interesting. On the fifth day God began to add some real excitement in the form of fish (and all other water loving creatures) and fowl (birds). On the sixth day God added an array of 'land animals' and then created the 'soveriegn' for planet earth in the form of 'man' - male and female. God's next 'move', however was unique and different from all the previous 'creative acts'. On the seventh day the Bible says "God rested". Was He tired? No! May I suggest that the 'rest' of His Story is perhaps the most important part of the whole Creation Week!. That 'rest' was a symbol of the JOY/PEACE experience that the first man and the first woman were to experience in their relations with God in a special sense and also with each other.

'Rest' denotes ceasing from 'activity'. God experienced JOY over what He had made. Now it was the 'time', I believe, He had been looking forward to since the very beginning of His work of creating this world. God had created this world to be inhabited with 'beings' (man - male and female) who could 'rest' in His love. And since they had 'very little' experience, God took this opportunity to share WITH them the 'rest' of HIS STORY. That whole seventh day of creation week was to 'show' Adam and Eve what 'God rest' means. In the book of Job it speaks about the stars (representing angels) of heaven 'singing' and all the sons of God 'shouting for joy'. A lot of other things also happened that first Sabbath and as it drew to a close I can almost imagine everyone wishing this could 'happen again'. In response God declared that very thing to be in His plan. Every seventh day God would 'rest' with the human family and they would continue to grow in their understanding of what 'rest' in God really means.

The wonder and beauty is that even though human beings have lost many things in their relationship with God because Adam and Eve sinned - chose a will other than God's will - later on, He keeps coming back every seventh-day Sabbath looking for people who are desiring to learn how to 'rest' in Him.

Wow! What a God is the Creator! And at the end of a week like this one has been for me, it is such a blessing to experience the 'rest' of His Story again, and again, and again, every seventh day Sabbath.

A friend who I have been helping quite a bit lately didn't seem to know much about 'Sabbath' as I have been learning about it when I first met her. When I first started helping her I told her I don't 'work' on 'Saturday' - what I call Sabbath. Interestingly enough, to me anyway, I have sensed she has respected the Sabbath more than some who profess to 'keep it holy' whom I know.

Through a series of events during the past few months there have been times when she would be very 'tense' even at times on 'Sabbath'. I could tell she wished I would 'come over'. I told her 'no problem' for it is blessed to 'do good' on the Sabbath day. And as we (my husband and I) would pray with her and have 'community' with her and God, she would be able also to 'rest' in HIS STORY with us.

More recently we have spent several 'Friday evenings' (the beginning of Sabbath) at her home. Those times have been as 'love feasts' together. We eat together, pray together, sing together and talk together as community.

It is almost like God is using her to teach me how better to experience the 'rest' of HIS STORY' more as He intends.

Last weekend she told me she 'kept' both Sabbath and Sunday. And looking back I believe God knew she was going to 'need' that much 'rest' for what this past week would bring her. That doesn't mean we haven't prayed other times and shared about the Lord, but somehow I stand in awe as I watch God working and teaching me more about the 'rest' of HIS STORY through this experience - even with someone who supposedly didn't know as much about 'Sabbath' as I thought I knew.

The 'rest' of HIS STORY. Ah, that kind of rest includes true, revitalizing 'peace' - not the kind the world talks about, but rather HIS PEACE which really comes from the inside to the outside.

May that kind of 'rest' be yours this seventh-day Sabbath and onward.

Bringer of Peace