HE GIVES REST

“Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.” – Joshua 22:4

 

It was January 28, 1986, and many Americans were glued to the television to witness the Space Shuttle Challenger take off.  Sadness and shock soon followed when the shuttle disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean.

Media coverage of the accident was extensive: One study reported that 85 percent of Americans surveyed had heard the news within an hour.

The Rogers Commission, appointed by United States President Ronald Reagan to investigate the Challenger accident, determined that cultural and mechanical processes were contributing factors.  

The Commission found key NASA officials made the ill-fated decision to go ahead with the launch after working twenty hours straight and getting only two to three hours of sleep the night before. Their error in judgment cost the lives of seven astronauts and nearly killed the U.S. space program. 

The Rogers Commission Human Factors Findings stated, "The willingness of NASA employees, in general, to work excessive hours, while admirable, raises serious questions when it jeopardizes job performance, particularly when critical management decisions are at stake."

 

The Lord desires us to take breaks often and to rest in Him. Today in prayer, thank Jesus that His yoke is light and He gives rest to all who are weary and come to Him.

 

“The stops of a good man are ordered by the Lord as well as his steps.” – George Mueller

 

God’s Word: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28