The Secret to an Unrushed Life - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 13
The Secret to an Unrushed Life
By Kristine Brown
“We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” - Psalm 39:6-7
We have a sweet little dog named Bandit who loves to chase a ball more than anything else. He would choose a game of fetch with his favorite green ball overeating, sleeping, or playing with any other toy. One squeak of that ball and Bandit comes flying around the corner, anticipating the next throw.
The problem is, he won’t stop until we put the ball away. He will keep going and going until he reaches exhaustion. Kind of reminds me how I can be sometimes. I’m the type of girl who can’t relax until every item on the to-do list has a nice, tidy checkmark next to it. I struggle to enjoy sitting down for a movie if a pile of clutter in the corner catches my eye. I must take care of the pile right then, before I can relax.
Today’s verse speaks volumes to the busy bee in me. I tend to get caught up in the rush of life and miss out on what God wants me to experience in His stillness. But God has a better way. He wants us to learn the secret to living an unrushed life, so we can discover His fullness like never before. So, what’s a go-getter girl to do? How do we slow down and embrace the unrushed life?
“We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” - Psalm 39:6-7
Upon first encountering this Psalm of David, I asked myself, “What is the secret to change? How do I unrush my life?” I came up with many answers. Here are just a few:
Being still.
Listening for God to speak.
Knowing God is in control.
Being aware of His presence.
Trusting God in all things.
All of these are good and fruitful as we seek the Lord and draw closer in our relationship with Him. But I couldn’t help but notice David’s words in verse 7. A question he posed to himself. “Where do I put my hope?” Then he answers without hesitation, “My only hope is in you.”
In this psalm, David expresses his awareness of the brevity of life. He wonders what it’s all for and shows his signature honesty to the God he loves so much. The more he reflects on the condition of his own heart, the more he discovers about his nature and his need for God’s forgiveness, protection, and love. He needs hope.
The secret to an unrushed life is knowing where our hope lies. When we know our hope is in God alone, we can settle into the warmth and comfort of His presence in a new, powerful way. We will understand what David means when he says that “busy rushing ends in nothing.” And we will hunger for more of the unrushed life God promises.
Will you join me today in this commitment to once again place our hope in God alone? To allow God to lead us away from all the rush and into the stillness of His loving arms? Let’s take a few moments of unrushed time today to focus on the verses above and seek God’s presence. He is ready and waiting to give us the unrushed life we long for.
Discover more resources for spending time in God’s presence in Kristine’s Life Enrichment Library. You’ll also find weekly encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at her website, kristinebrown.net. Kristine Brown is the author of the book, Over It. Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan, and the companion devotional for teen girls.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
