The New Yorker once had a single-pane cartoon which depicted two boys walking down a sidewalk. They were wearing baseball hats and had a stack of books under their arms. One said to the other: “So many toys—so little unstructured time.” It was a commentary about how busy many children are. Their time is very … Continue reading So little unstructured time
sabbath
Stopping not starting
In John 5 Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Verse 16 tells us that “because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.” Observing the day of rest has long been important to God’s people. Even today “there are special ‘religious police’ with … Continue reading Stopping not starting
Is your current speed dangerous?
Have you ever had a thousand things to do, but couldn’t get them done because things kept happening which prevented you from getting through your to-do list? Perhaps like a flat tire, a surprise visit from someone, losing your keys, or even a cold? Let me ask you a question: What if God was forcing … Continue reading Is your current speed dangerous?
Practical ideas for finding rest
The Valley of Vision is a devotional which contains this prayer. As you read it, keep in mind that “Immanuel” means God-with-us and is one of the names of Jesus: “Assure us that we shall at last enter Immanuel’s land, where none is ever sick and the son will always shine.”* That will be great… … Continue reading Practical ideas for finding rest
The weekly reminder that the best is yet to come
Rest. We know it’s good. We know we need it. We probably want more of it. Dragging feet, dark bags under our eyes, and deflated hearts testify this to be the case. But it also serves a larger function. Momentary rest is meant to foreshadow eternal rest. By “eternal rest” I mean the Rest-In-Peace variety … Continue reading The weekly reminder that the best is yet to come
Heaven’s appetizer
One day a week for rest and worship is heaven’s appetizer. Here’s what I mean. Think of an appetizer. It’s something that tastes good and is satisfying, but makes you anticipate or look forward to the full meal that is yet to come. It whets your appetite. That’s what the day of rest and worship … Continue reading Heaven’s appetizer
The cost of rushing
What was the fastest thing in the world when Jesus walked the earth? It couldn’t have been a jet or car because they weren’t invented yet. So it was probably an animal or a ship. Of all the things life would surely have been, it would definitely have been… slower. Difficult? Yes. Meaningful? Yes. But … Continue reading The cost of rushing
Something we GET to do (because we’re not slaves)
Hi everyone! After a month of vacation, the “Up!” devotional is back! One of the good things about getting away is regaining some perspective. One of the things I regained some perspective about was REST. We all need it. We all want it. But not all of us get it as much as we should. … Continue reading Something we GET to do (because we’re not slaves)
Physical rest without mental rest? (1 1-day invitation)
[Note: After today, the Up! devotional is going on pause for August while I’m on vacation. Full announcement below.] Many people are experiencing what I call “soul fatigue.” An article from the University of California describes the situation well: “We’re tired of being cooped up, tired of being careful, tired of being scared… ‘This is … Continue reading Physical rest without mental rest? (1 1-day invitation)
Wasting time well spent
Maybe we should all get a bit better at wasting time sometimes. Now hear me out. I’m not saying we should be lazy. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard. We should. Just not every second of every day of every year. We generally look down our noses at wasting time. After all, we’ve … Continue reading Wasting time well spent
The Up Devotional 