Roamers and Pilgrims

Man walking on wall near water

This is an audio recording of Roamers and Pilgrims the Day 3 entry in Today: Devotions for Seafarers (Vol. 2) by Jason Zuidema.

Listen to the audio by Donielle Hart Goad or read the text below:

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Roamers and Pilgrims
Today for Seafarers Devotional, written by Jason Zuidema and read by Donielle Hart Goad
The LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
— Genesis 4:9-12

Many of us seem to think that we are far busier today than people were in the past. Many experienced seafarers I have met have told me that life on board a ship is busier than a generation ago. Alternating between the breakneck speed of life in the fast lane and the slog of gridlock, our lives in the modern shipping world rarely give us time to think about where we are going. 

But the hectic nature of life in our time can be deceiving. With so much activity, we might think we are going somewhere, that life is heading in the right direction. Yet in all the busyness, so many people in our world feel profoundly empty and lost. 

The result of Cain's act of murder can help us understand our situation. After killing his brother, Cain was cursed. In particular, the consequence of the curse was that he would be a "restless wanderer." He would not have a place that he could call home. By opposing God, he would be on the go, but with nowhere to go. 

This image describes the results of sin in our broken world. Without God's Word as a light for our path, we do not know where to go. Without Jesus, we too are restless wanderers. 

Perhaps the fourth-century theologian Augustine said it best: "O Lord. . .our heart is restless until it rests in you." 

For Further Thought

  1. Has anyone ever made you do "busy work"? What was that like?

  2. What does it feel like to work hard but not make any progress?

  3. Do you ever feel restless in this life?

Prayer

Lord God, we confess that our hearts by themselves desire to wander. Thank you for giving us Jesus Christ, who is the way the truth and the life. We pray in his name. Amen.

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