8-11-2025

Good Morning All,

        Mark 6:31; “So he said to them, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone to rest for a while.”

      Do you remember the old Calgon commercials?  It always had this mother, her hair all frazzled, about 8-10 kids running around her yelling and screaming.  She would look to the camera and say, “Calgon, take me away.”  There were variations on this theme; there was the “Calgon moment” for a while.  There are actually many ads for some sort of “time out.”  There are the coffee ads where you see someone standing on a balcony looking out over a beautiful vista or mountain scene.  Some ads even suggest a candy bar will solve the problem. 

    The ad companies know us well.  They know that most people today feel incredibly rushed and frazzled.  Do you remember when computers were going to make our lives easier?  I am still waiting.  It seems like everything is at double speed and there is twice as much to do now.  We “know” everything so much faster that we often don’t really have time to consider the ramifications of what we “know.”  So now we get the benefit of those who think they “know” telling us how to react to what they “know” we “know” now.  No wonder we are lost.

     Most of us go through life with our head spinning and we can’t figure it out one bit.  The really sad part is that this is exactly how the devil wants us to live. He wants us to be harried, frazzled, confused, and lost.  It is in this mayhem that the devil wants us to exist, not live, but exist.  When you are here, you are always tired, often confused, feeling like you are always worn out.  The devil loves this spot for you to try and ride along because you never will.  You will only suffer from this ride.

    This is why God speaks to us in this verse.  “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone and rest for a while.”  God is inviting you, actually he is begging you, to take a little time and rest.  Take a little time and spend it reading his Word, really reading it.  Listen to the words and to the hope that these words offer.  Take time to pray; speak to God with an honest and true prayer.  Speak your words of thanks, your words of fear, your words of questioning.  God will use this time to give you peace, maybe not the answers you seek, but peace knowing that God is listening and is loving you today and tomorrow.  God will use this time to slow you down and to see the world a little more clearly.  Most of what the world thinks you have to “know” isn’t worth a hill of beans.  Spend time with God, rest a little while enjoying his Word to you.

Father of mercy, we need to take time and rest yet we often fail to do so.  We become frazzled and worn out and then are easy targets for the devil and his ways.  Give us the wisdom to rest in your grace.  Give us the courage to take time to rest in your Word and to hear your words of comfort and consolation.  We need you every hour, bless us Father with your love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret