Time to WAKE UP

In yesterday's blog The 23rd Psalm was referenced. King David's words speak of the peace that God brings to the soul. The 23rd Psalm is often read at funerals or Celebration of Life Services as we now like to call them. Many of us are driving ourselves to an early "celebration" with stress-filled living and jam-packed schedules. Maybe its time to wake up before it is our own wake they're rushing us off to!

Does your schedule keep you so heads down... that there's no time to look up?
Have you ever heard it said, "if the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy?" Has busy-ness caused you to "forget" God?
Here's a Wake-up call for you:

THE PSALM 23 ANTITHESIS, by Marcia Hornok
(originally published in Discipleship Journal, 11/90)

"The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when I am exhausted.
It leads me to deep depression, it hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy, for activity’s sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done, for my “ideal” is with always with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines, my in-basket overfloweth.
Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days of my life,
And, I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever!"

We can all smile as we read this, because we can all empathize. But honestly, who wants to “dwell in frustration forever?” And, yet, this is how most of us live today. This can’t be what God had in mind for his beloved creation… for any generation…even a crazy, technologically advanced society like ours.

"The truth is we experience guilt when we waste time; and a sense of delight when we spend time well. What does spending time 'well' mean? We were designed for something more than efficient productivity, prioritization, task-management, right? Perhaps a better question is: What does it mean to LIVE well? Is there something more fulfilling, enriching and exciting than task-completion? Our hearts are crying out for that missing element…. For a freedom found only in Christ!" (Excerpt from "Time Traps" by Todd Duncan)

Lord, help us realize that you hold us in the palm of Your Magnificent Hand. Remind us that there’s no need to rush, over-commit, hurt ourselves, and cause our hearts to race. Teach us what it means to REST IN YOU. Bring us YOUR PEACE that surpasses our understanding. Quiet our minds Jesus. Slow us down till we hear the whisper of Your Still Small Voice, its right there, like the coo of a morning dove, trapped under the roar of traffic, tick-tocking clocks, and ever-expanding to-do lists. WAKE US UP LORD, Teach us to live for Your Glory and not our own. You have a good plan for us, we yield to You today, help us keep looking UP to You.