THE
UNSTRUNG BOW!
Mark
6:31-32
31
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a
while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as
to eat.
32
And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
We are back from our vacation! While away I
did very little of what anyone might call work. At first I felt guilty because
there is always so much to be done and now I must dive into that work with
rigor. It actually took a few days to relax. A few weeks ago, or a few days
ago, I heard, read, or saw something about the effect of the tension of a bow
string. In researching it, I learned it was from an old Our Daily Bread
devotional. I offer it to you here.
According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens
a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some
little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time
in such frivolous activity.
Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its
string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian,
“Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.”
The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea
what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always
bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit
for use when you want it.”
People are also like that. That’s why we
all need to take time to rest. In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off
for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of
ministry. And in the Old Testament, God set a pattern for us when He “rested
from all His work” (Gen. 2:3).
Shouldn’t we take His example seriously? Start by
setting aside a special time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally
and spiritually. You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time
to loosen the bow.
Our
Daily Bread, June 6, 1994
Dear
Lord, gently restring my bow so that, now refreshed, I can resume my work. AMEN
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