Hurry Up and Wait

Hey there, my friend. It's time for some encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today, titled Hurry Up and Wait was written by James Banks. What will we do with all of our spare time? That thought was at the heart of an essay published in 1930 by the economist John Maynard Keynes. In it, Keynes proposed that within 100 years, technological and economic advances would bring humans to a point where we would work only 3 hours a day and 15 hours a week. It's been more than 90 years since Keynes published his famous essay, but technology, instead of creating more leisure, has made us busier than ever.

Our days are full, and while everyday tasks like travel and meal preparation take less time, we're still in a hurry. One striking incident from David's life in 1 Samuel 22 shows us how to stay steady in life's rush. When David was fleeing King Saul, who was trying to kill him, he asked the king of Moab, would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me? David had his hands full.

He was trying to escape Saul's murderous pursuits and also provide for his family. But even in his hurry, he took the time to wait on God. When life's frenetic pace sweeps us along, we can trust the one who can keep us in his peace. David's words in Psalm 27 sum up the matter well. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. Now let's take heart by listening to God's word together.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Samuel chapter 22 verses 1 through 5. David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adalem. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander.

About 400 men were with him. From there David went to Mizpah and Moab and said to the king of Moab, Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me? So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. But the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold, go into the land of Judah.

So David left and went to the forest of Harith. Let's pray. Lord, in the busyness of everyday life, when all is chaotic and overwhelming, would you help us to take the time to stop and contemplate your presence? Calm our hearts and renew our spirits, and thank you for giving us your peace as we continue to trust you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.