Be Still, Advent, Day 1: Rest in Creation
Update: You can catch up on the Daily Advent Readings here. If you skip a day, no worries—I’ve made it easy to have everything there so you can catch up.
Genesis 2:2-3: God’s Example of Rest
“On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creation that he had done.”
Matthew 11:28: Rest for the Weary
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Rest: A Whispered Invitation
The seventh day comes like a whispered invitation. After six days of creation—light and darkness, seas and skies, birds and beasts, and finally us—God didn’t just stop. He rested. He didn’t rest because He was tired. He rested as a divine exclamation point, declaring His work complete and showing us that rest is sacred.
The world tells, teaches us, that rest is a luxury we have to earn. But the Bible tells a different story. God built rest into the very fabric of creation. He blessed the seventh day and made it holy, reminding us that our worth doesn’t come from what we do but from who we are: His beloved creation.
Rest In Turmoil
When the TV show The Greatest Catch aired, I never slept better. Here’s why: I saw the brutal lives of fishermen braving the endless sea showed me how good I had it. They show revealed the rawness of treacherous storms, threats to their very lives, and the biting cold in their quest for a livelihood. And with all its intensity and chaos, the show became my unlikely lullaby, sending me into a peaceful, blissful sleep, better than any sleep aid ever could. I lay in the comfort of a warm, dry bed, wrapped in blankets untouched by torrential rains, unmoved by the howling winds.
Watching their harrowing lifestyle reminded me of a tiny verse, so small you may miss its grandness — Genesis 1:2: “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” The same Spirit that hovered over a chaotic, watery abyss was present even in the storms of the fishermen’s lives—and in the quiet of mine.
The Spirit of God brings order to chaos, peace to turbulence, and rest even in the midst of storms, whether out at sea or within our souls. In my bed, shielded from the world’s tempests, I wasn’t just resting; I was being reminded of the Creator’s hovering presence over all waters, all chaos, and all of life. That truth—steady and unchanging—wrapped around me like the softest blanket, granting rest far deeper than sleep.
A Yoke Lined With Love
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew Henry describes this rest as a “yoke lined with love.” When we follow Jesus’ example of resting and trusting, we’re not abandoning purpose—we’re rediscovering it. His rest isn’t just an absence of work; it’s a fullness of peace, a renewal of joy, and a realignment with what truly matters.
Matthew Henry goes on to explain,
“The day of rest is blessed because it brings with it refreshment to the weary and opportunities to draw nearer to God.” God’s rest isn’t just about stopping—it’s about being. Being present. Being still. Being refreshed.
Catch up on all of the Be Still Advent readings here.
You May Also Like
Watch How God Works in the Messes
Be Still, Advent Day 9: That Wall That’s Standing In Front of You
