Pace Yourself

"Then Esau said, 'Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.' But Jacob said to him, 'My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children…" Genesis 33:12-14

Jacob was returning from his 'exile' at his uncle Laban's and Esau was coming to meet him. Jacob is scared, but when they finally meet, they embrace. Esau asks Jacob to accompany he and his men back to their home country. Wisely, Jacob says he will go at his own pace for the good of his family. His little ones would not be able to keep up. Pacing ourselves for the good of others is who Jesus was and what He did while He walked on earth. He was never in a hurry for His own agenda. Jesus walked in the…

RHYTHMS OF GOD…

"…Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying." Luke 8:41-42

Hurry! And for good reason. A girl is dying. Jesus needs to move fast before she dies. On His way, a woman, not on the schedule, touches Him and is instantly healed. Jesus stops. 'Who touched me?', He asks. Peter, Jesus' 'gate keeper', urges Him on, 'It's just the crowd'. Jesus looks past him. Someone needs Him - in addition to a sick girl. Imagine how annoyed Jairus and Peter might have been with Jesus for 'fiddling around'. He could miss His window to heal this girl. As Jesus walked in the rhythm of God there was always plenty of time: to stop; to ask questions; to seek the hurting, and to help the struggling. To heal all who needed it. With Jesus, nobody went unnoticed.

…AND THE RHYTHMS OF GRACE.

"So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days." John 11:6

With that two day delay, Lazarus went from sick to dead. Not Jesus' finest 'hour' - or was it? It makes sense Martha and Mary were not happy with His delay. He could have arrived on time ('their time'). But Jesus was walking in the rhythms of God, which is the rhythms of grace (gift). The rhythm of grace always puts us in a position to give. Jesus was never in a hurry. But when we rush, push, fight, strain, press and stress, we stumble, fumble, jumble, and bumble. Not a way to be humble (grace). But when we, like Jesus, walk in God's rhythm, we move with grace.