Morning Devotional

January 13, 2004

"Stop a Minute" 

by Don Emmitte

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Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The LORD Almighty is here among us. The God of Israel is our fortress. (Psalm 46:10-11 NLT).

I read a story about a four-year old boy. Since he is a normal little boy, his dad had an unusual way to remind him to stop a minute from what he is busily involved in and take a bathroom break. Knowing that his son understands VCR functions very well, his dad just said, "Time for a bathroom break. Don't you think it's time to hit 'pause'?" Without looking up from his current project, he said in all sincerity - "I don't have a 'pause.'"

I am reminded of our reading this morning as I think of that statement from the little boy. We have a father - actually, a Heavenly Father - who's saying to us, "It's time to stop a minute, to hit 'pause.'" But we're moving very fast. We're focused on the demands and projects in front of us - and we're saying, "I don't have a 'pause.'" Not a good idea. God may be trying to get you to slow down or to stop right now so He can show you some things that you will never see on the run. It could be that you've been running ahead of the Lord's timing... or pursuing what you want instead of what He wants. Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying: "Woe to the obstinate children... to those who carry out plans that are not Mine..." (Isaiah 30:1) Sobering words.

All too often we can't see that we're trying desperately to make something work that wasn't God's idea in the first place. He has to pull us over to the side of the road for us to realize that we're on the wrong road. Or maybe you've been neglecting the regular timeout that God calls a "Sabbath" - you're all accelerator and no brakes, violating God's created order of taking regular rest. It's possible that God's been trying to say some very important things to you, things that would bring sense to your swirling world - but you can't hear Him because you're running so fast. Whatever the reason for your non-stop pace, I know there has to be someone reading right now to whom God is saying, "It's time to stop a minute. Don't ignore His call to "be still - and know that He is God."

He's wants you to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He's actually wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth - to spend quiet time with Him. You see, when you don't hit stop a minute from your hectic schedule, you end up running right past the God that you cannot do without.