This weekend marks the official end of the summer. I am aware that school has been in session for a month already. High school football and softball and cross country teams are in full swing.
Still, we recognize that this holiday weekend is the last true weekend of the summer. And many people will rush around like mad getting in their final summer fun.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever worked so hard to rest and relax that you needed time to recover from it? I know that there have been times when I have had to work so hard in advance of my vacations, and then have returned to a full load of stuff to do just to catch up, that I have wondered if a vacation was really worth the trouble.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking a good vacation. But if you try to pack so much into it that it leaves you exhausted, I wonder if it defeats the purpose altogether. In His word, the Lord said, “Be still, and know that I am God.” One translation says it this way: “Cease striving, and know that I am God.”
Most of us have heard of that verse, but many are not sure where it is located. It is near the end of Psalm 46, verse 10 of 11, to be exact. The Lord is reminding us of our need to rest in Him. He knows that life can become too hectic for us. He knows that we can get caught up in so much “busyness,” that we can forget all about Him.
The interesting thing about this verse is the context. Psalm 46 begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”
In other words, it only makes sense to “cease striving,” or “be still,” because the Lord is our helper in the midst of trouble. We can count on Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what happens.
I want to remind you that all of your striving and working and laboring are in vain unless you acknowledge and serve the Lord along the way. But when we are committed to Him, then we can indeed be still and be aware that He is God, and that He is on His throne, and that He can be trusted. We do not have to make it on our own. The Lord is with us. And that is the best news of all.
So, enjoy the weekend. But remember the Lord along the way. Walk with Him and follow Him. He will never lead you astray.
Still, we recognize that this holiday weekend is the last true weekend of the summer. And many people will rush around like mad getting in their final summer fun.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever worked so hard to rest and relax that you needed time to recover from it? I know that there have been times when I have had to work so hard in advance of my vacations, and then have returned to a full load of stuff to do just to catch up, that I have wondered if a vacation was really worth the trouble.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking a good vacation. But if you try to pack so much into it that it leaves you exhausted, I wonder if it defeats the purpose altogether. In His word, the Lord said, “Be still, and know that I am God.” One translation says it this way: “Cease striving, and know that I am God.”
Most of us have heard of that verse, but many are not sure where it is located. It is near the end of Psalm 46, verse 10 of 11, to be exact. The Lord is reminding us of our need to rest in Him. He knows that life can become too hectic for us. He knows that we can get caught up in so much “busyness,” that we can forget all about Him.
The interesting thing about this verse is the context. Psalm 46 begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”
In other words, it only makes sense to “cease striving,” or “be still,” because the Lord is our helper in the midst of trouble. We can count on Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what happens.
I want to remind you that all of your striving and working and laboring are in vain unless you acknowledge and serve the Lord along the way. But when we are committed to Him, then we can indeed be still and be aware that He is God, and that He is on His throne, and that He can be trusted. We do not have to make it on our own. The Lord is with us. And that is the best news of all.
So, enjoy the weekend. But remember the Lord along the way. Walk with Him and follow Him. He will never lead you astray.