Monday, December 2, 2013

God on Vacation by Martin Wiles

I don’t get as many as I want, and most of the time I can’t afford to take the ones I get.

Employers generally grant their employees a certain number of vacation days each year. And normally the longer the tenure the more days one obtains. But I’ve noticed a curiosity. My boss may give them—and even pay me for them, but he doesn’t pay me to actually take the vacation. For me, vacation means going somewhere I can relax, eating at places I normally don’t patronize, seeing things I don’t usually observe, and enjoying activities I generally can’t afford.

I enjoy taking vacations, but I certainly don’t want God to. Joseph must have felt like he had. Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. (Genesis 40:23 NLT) Not only was he forgotten and left in jail but he also had been sold by his brothers and falsely accused by the ruler’s daughter. He languished in prison and served as a slave for years before God came back from vacation…or so it seemed.

God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh, but he didn’t take a vacation on the seventh day in the sense that he was no longer on call. Some jobs require certain employees to be on call continuously. As a pastor, I’ve had a few of those jobs and have had parishioners express their appreciation that I was—especially when there was an emergency or tragedy.

Vacations are needed, and even Jesus took time to get away from the crowds that mobbed him, but he was always available for those truly interested in him. And he still is. God is always on call and always available. No matter what I’m facing—or when, he’s only a prayer away.

When times are tough, remember God is never on vacation.

Prayer: Eternal Savior and God, our minds are comforted by knowing You are always near.

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