The apostles returned and met with Jesus, and told him all they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn’t even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while." So they started out in a boat by themselves to a lonely place.

Many people, however, saw them leave and knew at once who they were; so they went from all the towns and ran ahead by land and arrived at the place ahead of Jesus and his disciples. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw this large crowd, and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:30-34

God writes the music for our lives. Our role is to follow His lead – humming, harmonizing, blending, and singing in tune. Serving the LORD, like singing, can be stirring and rewarding. But when God tells us to rest, because of illness, replacement, or retirement the interludes can be frustrating and unfulfilling. We may not want to rest awhile. We may not want to stop. Just remember, the Great Conductor is counting time with precision. There is more to the arrangement than we know. If we keep our eyes on Him, He’ll enable us to chime in again.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest. The quiet times are opportunities to quiet our souls and compose ourselves for the measures that lie ahead. The rest is not a mistake, nor an omission, but a necessary part of the symphony God wrote in the beginning and is conducting for us every day.

God uses life’s stops to prepare us for the next start.

Our Daily Bread – November 18, 2002