Today we are going to take a few moments to look at a few verses of Scripture regarding a certain question that someone had asked me. It is one of those questions that can make you stop what you are doing. It might even cause you to have that blank stare on your face, as your mind goes “hmm.” We will begin with a passage of Scripture that we have all heard and in no doubt agree with, Genesis 2:2-3. It regards the Sabbath, the day of rest.
Genesis 2:2-3
"On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation." - Genesis 2:2-3
Our world is packed with action. It is as if it is never ending. However, God demonstrated that rest is proper and good. We should not be surprised that we also require rest if God rested from His work. When Jesus and His disciples left in a boat to escape the crowds, He demonstrated this principle (Mark 6:31-33). We are refreshed for our times of service during our times of rest.
To rest is to rejuvenate oneself. Why? Because your body and mind have been overworked and you are physically and mentally exhausted. But to take a break, that is something else.
Have you ever noticed how many breaks people can take throughout their day? Humans take breaks at work like lunch breaks, smoke breaks, etc. Even if we are at home watching the television, we will take a break from watching whatever television show that we are watching to do something else. But many eventually go back to the TV. We may be playing a game on our tablet or phone, and we must stop and take a break. Our eyes need readjusting. We may be reading a book and will need to stop for a while.
Academic institutions may take breaks between classes, both the educators and the students. Athletes may take breaks during various games or matches. We can undoubtedly name numerous examples of people taking a break from doing this or doing that. To many, taking a break from whatever activity during the day may be necessary for their mental and physical wellbeing. But then again, some people may take a break from whatever they are doing just to get away from someone, something, or just to get away from everything.
However, there is something that we mere mortals may have never contemplated. Has God ever taken a break? I do not mean the time when God rested from creating the universe (Genesis 2:2-3). But has God ever taken a break from us? If not, then what do you think would happen if God did take a break? What would the world be like?
What if God woke up one morning and said, “You know what, I do not want to do anything today. No, it is not the Sabbath, the day of rest, I just do not feel like working on anything. I do not feel like listening to anyone’s complaints, prayers, requests, or whatever. I just feel like taking some time off for a while. I might even go fishing.”
2 Peter 3:8-9
"But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." - 2 Peter 3:8-9
If we read through this chapter, we will find that Peter is telling us that there is hope for growing Christians. And do not tell me that you are already grown up, spiritually speaking, for we all should be growing in our faith with the Lord every day. If we start to think that we have no need for more spiritual growth, then we are only fooling ourselves and need to get back on our knees before God and start all over.
As these believers longed for deliverance and faced daily persecution, God may have appeared slow to them. However, God is not sluggish; rather, He is not on our schedule (Psalm 90:4). No doubt Jesus is waiting for more sinners to turn to Him and repent. We should not just sit around and wait for Him; rather, we should live with the awareness that our time is limited and that we have important work to do. Now do not get me wrong, we ARE to wait upon the Lord, but that does not mean that we just sit and wait and do nothing. We must be prepared to meet Him at any time, including right now; despite this, we should plan our actions as though He might not appear for many years.
Peter cautions his readers not to overlook an essential aspect of God’s nature, for He is eternal. He does not have the perception of years passing by like we humans do. In the eyes of God, it has only been two days since Jesus promised to return if we take Peter’s statement literally. Naturally, Peter does not mean to say that in that manner. From a human perspective, his argument is that God is not constrained by the counting of days. He is not held by time. He does not wait or rush in the same way that we are confined to the passage of time in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. Despite our limited perceptions, God has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens.
Psalm 90:4.
"For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours." - Psalm 90:4
Moses is the writer of this, the oldest Psalm. Moses reminds us that to the Lord, a thousand years are equivalent to one day. Time has no effect on God. When the world does not improve over the course of a few years, it is easy to become discouraged. Sometimes we may wonder if God can even see into the future. However, we should not make the mistake of thinking that God is limited in any way. Time is completely irrelevant to God. We can rely on Him because He is eternal.
Once more, the Lord is unaffected by time. When compared to eternity, a thousand years pass by as if nothing happened. Isaiah 57:15 says that God lives forever “One that inhabiteth eternity,” while man lives for days, weeks, months, and years.
Our concept of time and God’s concept of time are totally different. You may be wondering how do these Scriptures have anything to do with God taking a break? Did these Scriptures just not tell us that a day with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years as one day? So, if God took a break, what would happen to humanity? Well for starters, evil would run amok. You think it is bad now!? Can you just imagine the evil running rampant across the land if God did not intervene?
Prayers would not be answered, much less even heard. Miraculous healing would not take place. The concept of doing what is right versus doing what is wrong would be non-existent. The world would be in total chaos. I could only imagine what God would do to the world when He came back from His break. A massive flood, the earth pummeled with meteors, every volcano erupting, or maybe He would just wipe out everything and start over, just like wiping a chalkboard clean.
If we look in the book of John, Jesus said,
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” - John 9:4
That means in a time without our modern electricity, work could not be done. The day was the best time to work, but it was also short. Believers in Christ only have a limited amount of time on earth to complete the tasks that God has given us to do.
John 11:9, Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?” If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
The understanding of God’s will is the “Day.” The lack of this knowledge is referred to as the “Night.” We are more likely to fall if we proceed in the dark. If we walk in His light, we will become children of the light, thereby displaying the truth and directing people toward God. Christians are to be the light bearers of Christ (John 12:35).
Christ has never and will never “Take a break” from us, so we should not be guilty of “taking a break” from Him.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
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