I feel tired because _______________ . How would you answer that question?  What wears you down and sucks the life from you?  In my life, it’s been many things.  When my four boys were little some days would feel like an eternity. When they were teenagers, it was a different weariness – sitting in the passenger seat as they learned to drive, football injuries, school work and many late nights.  Now I have other things that pull me into the depths of exhaustion –  Christmas and all that it brings, juggling work and home, a wayward son, turmoil in my family, the list goes on and on.

In Psalm 63:1 the Psalmist says, “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”

I can identify with the author of this Psalm, can you?  My soul is thirsty and my whole body longs for God. I long to see him, to have an intimate relationship with Him in this parched and weary land I find myself in.  I love face to face conversations.  If I have a choice of talking on the phone or meeting face to face I will choose face to face any day.  I like to watch people’s reactions to things I say.  I long for that kind of relationship with Jesus.

I want to hear Him laugh, to see His face and see His reactions when I am speaking with Him.  I want to know that He hears me and that He knows me.  Just recently I had the opportunity to take a walk with my Dad (a rare treat).  We took a nice stroll up to a nearby Starbucks and sat and talked for a couple of hours over a good cup of coffee (actually I had tea and he had coffee).  Oh, how I long to do that with my heavenly Father.  Do you ever long for that too? 

In verses 6-8 of that same chapter the author goes on to say, “I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” 

What does it look like to lie awake at night thinking of God, meditating on Him through the night?  I don’t know about you but when I lie awake at night it’s because I’m worried over something or I have too many things on my plate and I’m trying to make sure that I don’t forget any of them.  I don’t lie awake because I’m thinking of God.

When I’m in a dry and weary land, when I’m worn and fatigued my tendency is to spiral downward, to focus on my feelings, to focus on my exhaustion. But the Psalmist is saying here that we are to turn our hearts towards God remembering the things that He has done for us, how he has provided and met our needs.  We then can KNOW that he is our helper.  We can sing for JOY and rest in the shadow of His wings.

Meditating causes us to cling to the only ONE that can truly satisfy us.  We will find REST in His strong capable hands.  So my weary friend, turn your heart towards God and allow Him to quench your raging thirst and satisfy your soul.  He is all you need!

Question: What makes you weary? How can we pray for each other today?

“…he came to a cave and lodged in it; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 18:9, Amplified version)

Elijah had seen God do miraculous things- things that validated his ministry – but he was now exhausted.  After hearing of threats on his life, Elijah ran over 100 miles into the desert where he sat under a tree asking God to take his life. He had had enough. But God was not finished living in and through Elijah and so he was revived with rest and food from the hand of an angel. Then, “Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb.”

Surely now after this very personal ministration by an angel, Elijah would be ready for a new ministry beginning. Instead we find him in a cave where God asks the haunting question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Wasn’t the presence of an angel enough to assure Elijah that God had been—and would continue to be—faithful?

Elijah was human just like we are. He was too tired, too afraid, too spent to go on. Perhaps he wondered if that angel was just a dream. Perhaps he wondered if his ministry was over. Perhaps he had forgotten the promises of God. And so he finds a cave.

God reveals Himself to Elijah in the gentlest of whispers, but then He begins His new message with these simple words: “Go back the way you came…” Get out of the cave, retrace your steps, do the job I have called you to do.

While caves can be dark and forbidding, they can also seem safe – away from the elements, far from the people who threaten (or merely disturb) us, distant from the unending call of responsibilities. But eventually we will hear God’s question: “What are you doing here?” And often the answer is the same as the one spoken to Elijah: “Go back the way you came.”

Question: Is God calling you to leave a cave in your life? Have you been running into safe caves and not into the arms of our loving Father?

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Imagine her packing 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish and handing them to her young son. Probably not yet a teenager, the boy was anxious to go and join the crowd following Jesus. She would have had no idea what a life-changing event this would be for her son as he left to join the crowd of onlookers.

The story of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 is a familiar one. It was an exciting time 2000 years ago when great crowds of people followed Jesus because they saw miraculous healing of the sick. (John 6:1-14)

When the crowd became tired and hungry Jesus asked what food they had available. That young boy’s lunch was used in a miracle that we still read today.

I wonder if the boy’s Mom was in the crowd that day. A mother would have been concerned about the heat and the long day. She would have insisted her child eat the lunch she had prepared. She would want her child nourished. When Jesus asked his disciples about feeding the crowd would she have drawn the little boy back as he stepped forward to offer Andrew his own lunch?  Mother logic could possibly have blocked a miracle.

The little boy did step forward. He did offer his small lunch to the disciple of Jesus and the rest is history. Even Andrew wondered how so little food could even make an impact with this large crowd. Yet a miracle awaited. Jesus took the boy’s loaves, gave thanks and had them distributed to the crowd of over 5000!

Imagine the exciting story that boy went home with! There had even been twelve basketfuls of leftovers. The little boy must have been changed forever as he saw his small resource used greatly in the hands of Jesus. What a miracle!

As moms, it is often easy to let logic try to over-ride the sometimes-radical faith of our children. It’s been our job to stabilize, rationalize and energize our children as they have grown. To release them to be Jesus followers is not always easy. Sometimes it will look to us like they are giving up the very thing they need. Trusting Jesus with their hearts and their lives is what we are called to do.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:16).

Father God, thank you for recording this amazing little story for all time. Thank you for the hidden lesson of the mom who let her son go to follow Jesus. Help me today to release my children to You, whatever their ages, so that I might not hinder any work You are doing in their lives. Hold my mother heart in your hand. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: Why do you suppose Jesus frequently used children to help to demonstrate who He was? What was the purpose of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000? What miracle has Jesus performed in your life recently?

“I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” Psalm 116:10 (NCV)

Did you know that admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of faith? Trusting God but feeling despair at the same time, David wrote, “I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” (Psalm 116:10, NCV)

This sounds like a contradiction: I trust God, but I’m wiped out! David’s frankness actually reveals deep faith: First, he believed in God. Second, he believed God would listen to his prayer. Third, he believed God would let him say what he felt and still love him.

Focus on who God is—his unchanging nature. Regardless of circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character. Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves me, he is with me, he knows what I’m going through, he cares, and he has a good plan for my life. Raymond Edman said, “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.”

When Job’s life fell apart, and God was silent, Job still found reasons to praise God:

- That he is good and loving. (Job 10:12)
- That he is all-powerful. (Job 42:2; 37:5, 23)
- That he notices every detail of my life. (Job 23:10; 31:4)
- That he is in control. (Job 34:13)
- That he has a plan for my life. (Job 23:14)
- That he will save me. (Job 19:25)

Trust God to keep his promises. During times of spiritual dryness you must patiently rely on the promises of God, not your emotions, and realize that he is taking you to a deeper level of maturity. A friendship based on emotion is shallow indeed.

So don’t be troubled by trouble. Circumstances cannot change the character of God. God’s grace is still in full force; he is still for you, even when you don’t feel it. In the absence of confirming circumstances, Job held on to God’s Word. He said, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12, NIV)

This trust in God’s Word caused Job to remain faithful even though nothing made sense. His faith was strong in the midst of pain: “God may kill me, but still I will trust him.” (Job 13:15, CEV)

Question: Can any circumstances change God’s character or negate His promises?

About this Author: Rick Warren

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

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“… the hope that is stored up for you in heaven …” Colossians 1:5

Our hope in Christ for the future is the ultimate source of our joy here and now. This joy will set our hearts on fire to think of heaven, since all that we could ever want is promised there.

Here we are tired and run-down, but there lies the land of rest where the worker will no longer sweat with work, and fatigue will forever be banished. To those who are weary and spent, the word “rest” is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we are so tempted within, and so tormented by enemies without, that we have little or no peace. But in heaven we will enjoy the victory, when the flag shall be waved high in triumph. The sword will be sheathed, and we shall hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Here we may suffer sorrow after sorrow, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant discouragement to us, but there we will be perfectly holy, for there will be no way for any impurity to enter into the kingdom. Death cannot flower among the heavenly fields.

Isn’t it a wonderful truth that you are not to be banished forever, that you will not live eternally in the wilderness, but instead will soon inherit the beautiful promised land? Nevertheless, never think that we are dreaming about the future and forgetting the present! In fact, we should let our hope for the future help us to focus on the present.

Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is the most powerful force for development of virtue. It is a fountain of joyous effort and the cornerstone of cheerful holiness. Anyone who has this hope in them does their work with vigour, for the joy of the Lord is their strength. Such a person fights against temptation, for the hope of the next world repels the fiery darts of the devil. We can therefore labour even when we do not see immediate rewards, for we look forward to a reward in the world to come.

Question: How do you imagine Heaven?

About this Author: Charles Spurgeon

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loves us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17

Are you weary today? Is your strength failing?

Often we find ourselves in situations that require us to pour out physical and emotional energy at such a pace that there is little or no time to be replenished.

Raising young children is one such season of life. There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs doing; the necessity for constant vigilance is draining and a moment of rest seems weeks away.

Being the primary care giver to someone who is sick or aging is another period of unrelenting demands on your energy. Beyond the physical demands, grief often takes an added toll.

Perhaps it is the strain of broken relationship that is exhausting you. Estrangement from a friend, sibling, or son or daughter exacts a heavy price from your peace of mind. Confession, forgiveness and working through the issues take more strength than you possess.

Many times we desire to do these good things that God has called us to, but become discouraged and tired.

Thus it is wonderful to discover that our God gave us eternal encouragement and good hope! More than a momentary pick-me-up, by God’s grace and love we have access to a continuous supply of hope and encouragement.

Feelings fluctuate, but God and His word stand firm forever. Keep clinging to Him.

Please allow me to call on God on your behalf today:
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loves you and by his grace gave you eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your heart and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Amen.

Questions: What does eternal encouragement and good hope mean to you? How has it been a reality in your life?

About the Author: Suzanne Benner

“Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings.” Proverbs 25:28 (NAB)

It’s not unusual for people to become disillusioned, discouraged, and fatigued about halfway into a difficult challenge. When I start to feel the fatigue, I look to Proverbs 25 and remember that my feelings are not a reliable measure of how things are going.

We’re to trust wholeheartedly in God and put no faith in our own perceptions (based on Proverbs 3:5, NJB).

Our feelings come from a variety of sources – past, present, and future. But feelings often lie; they’re not always a reflection of reality. Plus, life is complex and we must often live with mixed feelings: “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief” (Proverbs 14:13).

People often compare life to a roller coaster of hills and valleys, but actually life is more like two rails on a railroad track. One rail represents the good and positive in your life; the other represents the bad and painful in your life.

You’ll always have both at the same time! There will always be something good and something bad happening in your life. We can’t expect everything to be good for one month and then everything to be bad the next month. There’s always a mixture of both, a blending of both bitter and sweet.

However, we can choose the focus: “When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow” (Romans 12:15, NLT).

Question: Have you been feeling fatigued lately? What’s been dragging you down?

About this Author: Rick Warren

Something is awry—we feel disconnected. We connect with a career, find meaning in family, yet long for something more.

We feel the frustration I felt on Christmas morning, 1964. I assembled a nine-year-old’s dream gift: a genuine Santa Fe Railroad miniature train set, complete with battery-powered engine and flashing crossing lights. I placed the locomotive on the tracks and watched in sheer glee as three pounds of pure steel wound its way across my bedroom floor. Around and around and around and . . . around . . . and around . . . After some time I picked it up and turned it the other direction. It went around and around and around . . .

“Mom, what else did you get me for Christmas?”

Similarly, our lives chug in long ovals, one lap after another.

First job. Promotion. Wedding day. Nursery beds. Kids. Grandkids. Around and around . . . Is there anything else? Our dissatisfaction mates with disappointment and gives birth to some unruly children: drunkenness, power plays, eighty-hour workweeks, nosedives into sexual perversions—all nothing more than poorly disguised longings for Eden. We long to restore what Adam lost. As someone once said, “The man who knocks on the door of a brothel is seeking God.”

Where and when the brothel fails, Jesus steps forth with a reconnection invitation. Though we be “dead in [our] transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:18), whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1). Reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.” (John 1:13)

Don’t miss the invisible, inward miracle triggered by belief. God reinstates us to Garden-of-Eden status. What Adam and Eve did, we now do! The flagship family walked with God; we can too. They heard his voice; so can we. They were naked and unashamed; we can be transparent and unafraid. No more running or hiding.

“Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!” (1 Peter 1:3–4 MSG).

From 3:16, The Numbers of Hope
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2007) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Question: What do you look most forward to in your life?

About the Author: Max Lucado

“In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested” (Exodus 20:11 TEV).

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is just go take a nap. That’s because when you’re physically down, it’s hard to be emotionally and spiritually up. The legendary football (U.S.) coach Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” That’s true. It’s amazing how much better things look when you’re rested.

If you’re discouraged right now, it might not mean you have to make a change; it may simply be that you need some rest.

Farmers know that soil needs rest, so they rotate their crops and systematically leave a portion of their land fallow. They do this because land that has rested produces a greater harvest.

About one hundred years ago, a businessman named Frederick W. Taylor did a scientific study on the workplace and productivity. Do you know what his study proved? That people will produce more if they have periodic breaks; and from that, he introduced the coffee break.

Resting is spiritual. The Bible says God “enjoys giving rest to those He loves” (Psalm 127:2 MSG). You may need to put that verse on your refrigerator. The Bible says it’s vain for you to rise up early and stay up late.

The Bible also says, “You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed Your laws” (Psalm 119:73 LB). What are His laws for the body? Eat right, get your sleep, exercise, and relax.

Rest is so important, in fact, that God put it in the Ten Commandments. In essence, He said, “Every seventh day you are to rest.”

Don’t ignore what God established. A good night’s sleep makes a big difference. And even a quick nap can help you see things clearly.

Question: Have you felt worn out lately? Could it be time for a rest, not to get “away” from God, but to be filled with His presence to be refueled for His work?

About this Author: Rick Warren

Imagine her packing 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish and handing them to her young son. Probably not yet a teenager, the boy was anxious to go and join the crowd following Jesus. She would have had no idea what a life-changing event this would be for her son as he left to join the crowd of onlookers.

The story of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 is a familiar one. It was an exciting time 2000 years ago when great crowds of people followed Jesus because they saw miraculous healing of the sick. (John 6:1-14)

When the crowd became tired and hungry Jesus asked what food they had available. That young boy’s lunch was used in a miracle that we still read today.

I wonder if the boy’s Mom was in the crowd that day. A mother would have been concerned about the heat and the long day. She would have insisted her child eat the lunch she had prepared. She would want her child nourished. When Jesus asked his disciples about feeding the crowd would she have drawn the little boy back as he stepped forward to offer Andrew his own lunch?  Mother logic could possibly have blocked a miracle.

The little boy did step forward. He did offer his small lunch to the disciple of Jesus and the rest is history. Even Andrew wondered how so little food could even make an impact with this large crowd. Yet a miracle awaited. Jesus took the boy’s loaves, gave thanks and had them distributed to the crowd of over 5000!

Imagine the exciting story that boy went home with! There had even been twelve basketfuls of leftovers. The little boy must have been changed forever as he saw his small resource used greatly in the hands of Jesus. What a miracle!

As moms, it is often easy to let logic try to over-ride the sometimes-radical faith of our children. It’s been our job to stabilize, rationalize and energize our children as they have grown. To release them to be Jesus followers is not always easy. Sometimes it will look to us like they are giving up the very thing they need. Trusting Jesus with their hearts and their lives is what we are called to do.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:16).

Father God, thank you for recording this amazing little story for all time. Thank you for the hidden lesson of the mom who let her son go to follow Jesus. Help me today to release my children to You, whatever their ages, so that I might not hinder any work You are doing in their lives. Hold my mother heart in your hand. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: Why do you suppose Jesus frequently used children to help to demonstrate who He was? What was the purpose of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000? Has Jesus performed a miracle in your life recently?

About the Author Gail Rodgers

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Created to Become like Christ, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog