This devotion is based on Psalm 46. (To read the psalm, click here.)

Do you ever find yourself caught in a daily rush hour?  Are there too many irons in the fire?  How frequently may we think, “Why can’t I just slow down; why can’t I get out of this rush hour and enjoy life more?”  Words from David’s Psalm give us something to think about: “Be still and know that I am God.  I am exulted among the nations; I am exulted in all the earth!  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

No one forces us to rush around like a chicken with its head cut off!  God didn’t design us to go full speed, or to be in rush hour traffic all day.  He knows you can’t keep the pace.  Hop till you drop isn’t in God’s instruction book.  Burned out isn’t any good to the Lord. He wants us to labor for Him, yet that doesn’t mean rush hour always meets with His approval.

Be still is what David writes to encourage us.  I will admit that being still is one of life’s greatest challenges.  Begin by setting aside 10 minutes a day to do nothing, and build up to 30 minutes a day.  You can use that time to do something you enjoy, but if it puts you back into rush hour, it has to go. These small times of Sabbath allow us the rest and joy that God designed our bodies to need.

When Jesus is the Lord of our lives, life changes, and the ridiculous idea that we ‘can’t get out of rush hour’ vanishes.  As we slow the pace, God receives the praise He deserves.  Stepping out of rush hour gives us time to spend with the Lord, time to be still before Him.  You don’t have to live in rush hour just because you’re too afraid to discover life in the slow lane.  If you are tired of rush hour living, do something. God is our refuge and strength.  Seek shelter under His wing in your rush hour moments.

Finally, just one suggestion: Begin each day with 10 minutes (or more) with God.  At the end of the day, ask yourself, “How did those 10 minutes affect my day?”  At the end of the day, thank Him for His help with rush hour living.