Friday, October 9

Today’s Readings: Job 18:1-21; Hebrews 4:1-11; Psalm 22:1-15

I remember when computers were first coming in the consciousness of the mainstream public how people looked to the future and projected how easy our lives would be with them. People talked about how the hours contained in a regular work week would be slashed dramatically. Many of our household tasks, we were promised, would also be taken over by computers. All the time that we had spent working so industriously would now be converted to leisure time. Those projections sure sounded wonderful!!

Here we are a couple decades later, and that same technology the spoke of has increased – not decreased – the demands on our lives. Because of the way we are wired these days, people are making more and more demands of us 24/7. In light of this development, there is one thing that has proven to be more elusive than anything else: rest.

Today’s passage from Hebrews puts a wonderful spin on this notion of rest by suggesting that it’s not as elusive as we might think. It suggests that rest isn’t about having nothing to do; rest is about something else. “If we believe, though, we’ll experience that state of resting… The promise of ‘arrival’ and ‘rest’ is still there for God’s people.”

Today, as you struggle to meet the demands of your schedule, remember those words. As you claim them for yourself, perhaps you’ll find that the rest you seek is not as elusive as you might have first thought. Til next time…