Finding sanity in an insane world (Psalm 127:2)

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 127:2 (TM)

It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?

STORY:

David Mackenzie shares: To act out the principle of turning prayers over to God, we took a paper bag, wrote "God" on it, and taped it up high on the back of our kitchen door. As I prayed about matters such as my career, my role as a father, my abilities to be a good husband, I would write down each concern on a piece of paper. Then those pieces of paper would go in the bag. The rule was that if you start worrying about a matter of prayer that you've turned over to God, you have to climb up on a chair and fish it out of the bag. I don't want to admit how much time I spent sifting through those scraps of paper. 

OBSERVATION:

Let’s face reality – life, even at its best, is uncertain. No one has any guarantees. We would love to have life all wrapped up in neat little packages. That just isn’t how life works.

We rise every morning, face the new day and, with plans in hand, move out to complete our agenda. And then the phone rings, the mail is delivered, an email arrives, our spouse speaks, the pain creeps in and grows, a neighbor stops by, a dish falls… and life is interrupted. Our plans go out the door and uncertainty comes in. Welcome to life in the real world!

We worry about stuff. Some important stuff, some not so important stuff… but, worry nevertheless consumes our life. Worry takes time. Worry takes energy. Worry robs us of our day and diminishes us of our blessings.

Admitted there are days when we wonder – was it worth even getting out of bed. That is when we need to remember that God really is in charge. On those awful days – when nothing seems to go right and we are just overwhelmed by our “stuff” … find a quiet place, pick up a book, curl up and read the day away, or nap, or just sit there and pray… take a God-rest day! Release the world to do its thing – we cannot control the spinning anyway, but we can refuse to buy into the uncertainty.

This God-rest time is like finding sanity in an insane world.

PRAYER:

We want to shout – STOP THE WORLD WE WANT TO GET OFF. But then we remember that God is in charge… he really is. We forget that sometimes and try to control our world. Help us to find some God-rest time today!