(…) Returning and resting is what will save you; calmness and confidence will make you strong (….) –Isaiah 30:15 (CJB)
The phrase “24/7” is common and sums up our culture’s non-stop nature. However, “24/7” is a pretty new addition to the English language. It didn’t appeared in print until the 1980s, indicating life hasn’t always been so on the go. When you think about daily life today, how often do the words “resting” and “calmness” come to mind?
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, noted for developing the ideas of extroversion, introversion, and the basis for what became the Myers-Briggs Personality Types, made this observation. “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.”
Summarizing the hurried pace of modern life, Virginia Brasier wrote this ditty entitled “The Rat Race.”
This is the age
Of the half-read page
And the quick hash
And the mad dash
The bright night
With the nerves tight
The plane hop
With the brief stop
The lamp tan
In a short span
The big shot
In a good spot
And the brain strain
And the heart pain
And the catnaps
Till the spring snaps
And the fun’s done.
This poem first appeared in The New Yorker …in 1957. If life was that fast back then, how about now?
The full text of Isaiah 30:15 states: “Therefore, the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, says: In return and rest you will be saved; quietness and trust will be your strength— but you refused.” (CEB)
What a tragedy. God offers us rest, quietness, trust and calmness. But the people to whom the Prophet Isaiah was speaking would have none of it. Like any gift, it has to be received to be enjoyed.
If B.U.S.Y. stands for “Being Under Satan’s Yoke,” how about trying Jesus’ yoke? Christ tells His followers: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:29 NIV).”
S.D.G./S.G.D.