More Than We Can Chew

Read Psalm 46: 1-11

Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge! Psalm 46: 8-11 (NRSV)

The dog came out from under the deck with a piece of naan bread in her mouth. She obviously had a buried stash of food. On occasion, she's been known to swipe food scraps. No matter how large the scraps are, she is determined not to let them fall from her mouth or let them be taken from her; so she tries to eat large pieces of food in one mouthful.

This morning Kate Carroll, from Kildare, Ireland, heard the phrase, "You've bitten off more than you can chew" and thought of the dog. At times we commit to responsibilities and deadlines without measuring the impact they will have on our lives. We may then find ourselves with over-filled mouths, wondering how we're going to chew it all.

When we're under pressure and feeling burdened, simply being still is often the hardest thing to do. It can feel counter-intuitive when we have so much on our plate. But in stillness, we remember God. We can then cast our cares on God and ask for wisdom and direction.

Prayer: Loving Father, give us peace to be still before you even when we have bitten off more than we can chew. Give us the wisdom to deal with whatever is before us, in Jesus' name. Amen.