https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gods-invitation-rest/ Accept God’s Invitation to Rest August 24, 2025 | Scott W. Kay © iStock.com/nullplus Share Post Email Advertise on TGC “It feels so nice to finally stop and catch my breath.” Can you remember the last time you had a moment like that? For some of us, it’s been a while. In our hard-working, highly productive culture, we can sometimes feel like exhausted swimmers swept downstream in a fast-moving river, fighting to keep our heads above water, gasping for air. We get up early and stay up late. We never waste a minute. Our schedule is full, running here, running there, running late, running to catch up, running on empty, until we collapse in utter exhaustion. Underneath the satisfaction of being hard-working, hard-playing people is a weariness that’s desperate for the pace to relent so we can rest and recharge. Deep down, we’re dying to slow down and take a break. We keep telling ours...
The God of Joseph [Acts 7:9-16] The text discusses the concept of ‘Brick instead of Bread’ and quotes a saying attributed to the famous news anchor David Brinkley. The saying illustrates that sometimes life presents us with challenges (symbolized by a brick) instead of comfort (represented by bread). How we handle these challenges can determine whether they become the foundation of happiness or the cause of unhappiness. The text then mentions biblical figures who encountered the brick of suffering in their lives, including Joseph from the book of Acts (Acts 7:9-16). Unlike some, Joseph did not reject the brick of suffering; instead, he accepted it with faith. Despite committing no wrongdoing, Joseph faced various trials, such as being sold to merchants by his brothers and later being unjustly imprisoned in Egypt. The text advises that when we go through the passage of suffering, we sho...