Speaker: Rusty Gerhart

Theme: The Hurried Life

Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Because of Jesus - Fee, Run - Hillsong, For Who You Are - Hillsong, Forever Reign - Hillsong

Read:  Psalm 39; Proverbs 21:5

Think: The first step in solving any problem is to admit there is a problem. Therefore, if we are feeling overwhelmed and maybe even defeated by life, the first thing we need to do to start the process of getting our life back on track? Just what Pastor Rusty talked about over the weekend, admit that we are living at an unhealthy pace.

The Bible gives us great perspective on time and life management – Read from today’s Scripture reading:

 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end
   and the number of my days;
   let me know how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39: 4 

I came across some statistics published by researchers at Humboldt State University on information overload:

• The amount of printed information in books doubles approximately every 5 years.
• A person reading today’s New York Times processes more information than someone living in the 17^th century would have encountered in their entire lifetime.

One researcher who has studied the problem said this: "Technology reduces the amount of time it takes to do any one task but also leads to the expansion of tasks that people are expected to do." We are expected to do more, learn more, know more than was ever considered possible merely a decade if not centuries ago. And that’s just not realistic.

The effects of an overloaded way of life are not insignificant. Proverbs 21:5 says that “haste leads to poverty”! This can be literal and spiritual… We are more often stressed beyond what we can achieve and accomplish in any given day. We make errors and mistakes more readily. For all the efficiency gains and life-assisting benefits of science and technology, we are seeing just as many places where they deprive us of a more humane day-to-day life and give us a grueling routine where we get more done but enjoy it far less than we once did. We don’t have much time left for God let alone keeping Him our top priority as He deserves.

This is so much less than what God designed for us, and short of the full and abundant life He promises through Jesus.

When life is moving so much faster than we can take it in, is it even possible for God to still provide us peace amidst it? Yes, but God can’t help us if we won’t slow down, make sufficient room for Him in our daily routine and keep Him first.

Do:   Take a few minutes to slow down and just focus on Jesus. Do some deep breathing to relax if that helps you and silently pray. Avoid the temptation to just do it quickly and superficially. Stay quiet for as long as you need to really feel calm and focused on God’s peace. Listen for His still, small voice…

Pray:   God, I admit I cannot keep up with the pace of this world…  But I know that You can. Help me to slow down, to trust in You and rest in the peace You give. Help me to understand that worrying and hastiness will leave me feeling poorer than lead to any increase of value. Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.