*Day 7 - Rest*

Today is Day 7!

The seventh day is very special to God. After God had made the entire world and everything in it, he rested on the seventh day:

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And 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. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. - Genesis 2:1-3

This week we learned some very important lessons from some shepherds in the Bible. Let's go over what we learned.

• God is our great shepherd. He gives us everything we need, so it's good to be thankful to him for all he provides.
• Abel was the very first shepherd. He gave a good offering to the Lord, so we also should give our best to God.
• Abraham was the father of many shepherds. He was obedient when it was hard. We can be obedient when God calls us to do hard things too.
•  Jacob had a dream in which God promised to be faithful to him. God always keeps his promises. We can keep our promises too.
•  Joseph was a shepherd who spent time in a pit, a prison, and finally a palace. His life was really hard, but in the end, God worked everything out for the good of Joseph and his family. Joseph is a good example of how we should treat God when life gets hard, and how we can trust God's divine plan, even if we don't fully understand it.

Today, I hope you will find time to rest and reflect on what we've learned this week. Think back over the week. Is there one of these stories that spoke to you? Do you need to be more thankful to God? Do you give God your best? Is God calling you to do something difficult? Are you being obedient to that call? Are you keeping promises to the people in your life? When life gets crazy, do you trust God's plan? How do you treat God when things don't make sense?

Take a moment to pray and talk with God. Ask him what he wants from you, and what you can do for him. Sit in silence, listen, and rest.

Did you hear anything specific? I would love to hear what you heard. Please feel free to share with me or someone close to you.

Enjoy your day of rest. Tomorrow we learn about another shepherd.