“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31

I remember being out fishing on the river with my dad. As a kid, the times when were cruising along in his johnboat were the best. However, in order to catch fish, we would have to use the slow trolling motor to get along the river banks. Ugghh… it was soooo boring as a kid to just troll along there, but there would be no way to catch fish when we were speeding along with the big motor. If we wanted to eat, we would have to troll along and sometimes sit in one spot for long time.

Those were good memories with my dad, but it got me thinking about how often we hear or read the word and we don’t take our time. For some people, church is just an hour out of their lives every Sunday. Also, all too often, I’ll hear someone say that they don’t even have time to pray. Frankly, if you are too busy to pray, then you need to get your priorities straight. God wants to make sure that His children are cared for, and if you don’t slow down once in a while, you will miss out on the Heavenly meal that the Lord has for you.

Speaking with God and spending time in His Word is of the utmost importance. It helps you to connect with Him and understand more about what this life is all about. Granted, you will never get all of His plan, but you will begin to understand more of it and you will also be able to deal with the bad times just a bit better. I’ve heard of religion being like a lift in your shoe that makes you walk straighter and hold your head a bit higher. The more time you devote to the Lord, the more He will raise you up.

Honestly, there are times when I find myself speeding through passages of the Bible that I’ve read a hundred times. That’s also usually when the Holy Spirit smacks me upside the head and tells me to go back and re-read. Quite often, when I slow down and take my time with the verses, the Spirit reveals more and more to me that I never got before. The Bible is truly a living book. The same goes for sermons from good and trustworthy pastoral sources. Just as Christ lives, so does God’s word is alive in any form. There’s something to be gleaned from every moment spent connecting with God’s Word.

We are a busy society and that’s unfortunate. We are living our lives so fast that we blink and it’s over with. How many parents out there (me included) can say that our kids were babies just a few minutes ago it seems. Often, people are so stressed and lack patience so much that even if we did have a couple minutes to ourselves, we would be looking for more stuff to cram into those few short minutes. Sometimes, we need to just slow down and troll along. That doesn’t mean you need to quit your job and move onto a mountain top in Tibet to find peace. You can find peace right here and now.

Stop for a moment wherever you are. Now, take a deep breath and say “Thank you Jesus.”

What are you thanking Him for? You are thanking Him for His life, death, and resurrection that erases your sins and allows you eternity in Heaven. You are thanking Him for His peace that surpasses all understanding. You are thanking Him just to be able to thank Him. You have breath, you have life, and you have eyes to see or ears to hear this sermon. That right there is more than some people have. Be thankful and praise His name.

We often speed down the river of life. Remember that if you don’t slow down and just troll along now and then, you will miss out on the wonderful and abundant life that God our Father has in store for us.

God’s blessings to you.

DH