Pause For A While

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Thank you and good morning. This is Chris Wits and
it's Morning devotions. Back in the 1960s, TV watching was
very different. I can recall the great excitement when our
family brought a black and white TV. We thought it
was the greatest invention ever. When we went on holidays,
we even rented a TV set, paying with the coins
to keep it going.

(00:27):
The younger generation may not believe what it was like
with doubtful reception, rabbit's ears on top of the set
to try and get a clear picture. There was no binge-watching, streaming,
box sets, no on-demand viewing.
And I think at home when I was young, we
only had 2 channels to choose from. How different life
is now with hundreds of channels to choose from. Back then,

(00:47):
the only way to watch the next episode of uh
my favourite programme was to wait, wait until the same
time next week, and the episode probably ended with the
words to be continued, a whole 7 days of waiting. Just, uh,
it seemed like an eternity.
How old fashioned that is today with digital media at
our fingertips. We're not good at waiting, are we? We

(01:08):
want everything today, if not sooner. Whatever happened to that
idea of stopping, relaxing, and dropping out of the rat
race for a little while? You see, we're always in
a hurry. It was the poet William Henry Davies who
once wrote, What is this life if full of care
we have no time to stand and stare.
It seems like an accurate description of modern life, and

(01:29):
even though that poem was written in 1911, and a
lot has changed since that early time. Life is diminished
if we don't take time out or do not appreciate
our surroundings. We should stop and just absorb, but standing
and staring is not easy.
The temptation to do is always there. It was the
author Marty Rubin who said it takes a long time

(01:52):
to learn how to do nothing. If you need some
motivation to close that laptop or shut your office door
and walk away from it, consider this statistic. People who
work 55 plus.
Hours a week have a 35% higher risk of stroke
and 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, according
to the World Health organisation. There are simple joys in

(02:14):
life which we neglect at our own peril. It's good
to know the Bible gives us some good advice in
Isaiah 40:31.
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall
run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Ever feel worn out from waiting like you've just run
out of steam, and no amount of coffee or pep

(02:36):
talks can keep you going? God's people in the book
of Isaiah were tired too. They'd been through chaos, exile, confusion,
the loss of their homes. It was a long, hard
march of disappointment for them, and they wondered, Has God
forgotten us?
And Isaiah, God's prophet, spoke a word of hope into
their weary hearts, and he reminds the Jewish exile that

(02:57):
it's this everlasting God whom they've known about forever who
is still in charge of their lives. They had not
been forgotten, and God was not ignoring them. To wait
for the Lord is to trust that His ways and
timing are best, even when we feel depleted.
Isaiah reminds them that they serve a God who is
all powerful and is never running low on energy. Renewal,

(03:19):
you know, is God's specialty. He loves replenishing, restoring, and
creating things that are even stronger than before. God doesn't
want you running on empty. He promises fresh strength inside
and out for everyone who waits expectantly.
Eagles don't constantly flap their wings. They find the wind currents,
and they soar peacefully and without struggle or striving. And

(03:41):
this picture of the eagles is about moving above the struggle,
lifted by God, seeing things from a higher perspective, and
waiting on God lifts you out of despair and gives
you a new vision. Whatever your season looks like right now,
know that God has not abandoned you.
You're not alone. He stands with you. God is holding
you up. Heavenly Father, you know how long I've been waiting,

(04:03):
how tired I feel. Thank you for the promise to
renew my strength. Help me to shift my focus from
my exhaustion to your ability to restore. Give me the
courage to soar above my challenges. Refresh me in body, mind,
and soul, and help me trust your timing and your love. Amen.