For the Weary – Day 28 – Our Hope

On March 4, 2009March 4, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

~Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Misplaced Hope

When we get to the point of weariness, we tend to look for relief in the wrong places or in the wrong people. When I have been to this point, I have felt that God wanted me to go through this and wasn’t going to give me relief from the situation I was in. It is then I would look for help – but not from the Lord. Friends were there for me and were a blessing – but they could not take the trial away. They could encourage my heart but they could not change my attitude about the trial. It is the same when believers are stricken with an illness that is pretty serious. They turn to their doctors and place their hope in the doctor to heal them. As good as that sounds, the hope is truly misplaced.

Hope Eternal

The weary believer gets to a point in his life that he is overwhelmed and feels as though he has been totally abandoned. When we place our hope in God, the hope will not be misguided. That hope will be eternal and He will sustain us. As I close this devotional series for The Weary Believer, I pray that it has impacted you in such a way that you will turn to the Lord rather than to anyone or anything else in your time of need. I have tried to convey the importance of seeking God’s face and turning to His Word for encouragement. The Word heals the broken believer. When you have filled yourself with the water from the Word, you will look at your trial with different eyes. The overwhelming feeling will be replaced with the attitude that you can live through this.

~Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

© Kate Plourde 2009

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

For the Weary – Day 27 – God Hears

On March 3, 2009March 3, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

~Psalm 3:3-4 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (3) I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. (4)

God hears

As we’ve been going through this series, we have been learning about God’s attributes. Today’s verse teaches us that God does hear us when we cry to Him. I can’t begin to tell you how many times someone has told me that they do not feel as though God hears them. They continue to say that their prayers seem to stop at the ceiling. Does that sound familiar to you? Don’t believe it for a minute. God tells us that He does hear us and that He stands ready to help us. David said he cried with his voice and God heard him. God hears us as well!

God’s shield

The weary believer gets to a point in his life that he is overwhelmed and feels as though he has been totally abandoned. However, our God stands ready to shield us from total despair if we allow Him. Sometimes we just cannot see His shield in our lives because we are so absorbed in our circumstances. That is why it is so important that we stay in the Word. Reading brings life to our down heartedness. Reading brings to light God’s promises and comforting words. One can hardly read Psalms without walking away with a ray of hope. Why is it that we fail to go to the place where healing can occur when we need it the most?

God lifts us up

The best part of the verse is that God is the lifter of the weary believer’s head! Whether your head is stuck on a pillow because you’re exhausted or your head is drooped because of depression, God WILL lift it. He is there waiting and willing to do this. Read the Word and envelope yourself within the pages of encouragement. God will wrap His arms around you and bring you that much needed comfort and peace.

For the Weary – Day 26 – Walk Without Fainting

On March 2, 2009March 1, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

~Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

What do you know?

In the Old Testament times, people were not as blessed as we are today to have God’s Word available at any given time. They had to depend on hearing God’s Word from their prophets and high priests. After hearing, they had to keep what they had heard in their hearts so they could pull from it when they needed refueling.

Isaiah exhorted them by trying to help them to remember what they had been taught. Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? It’s as if he is trying to jolt their memories:

Come on, people! We’ve taught you this before. Why don’t you remember? Why don’t you draw from what you have been taught and encourage yourselves?

When the believer is weary, it’s so vital that he remember what God has taught him. When we look back at how God has been there for us in the past and what He has done to bring us through a particular trial, we feel encouraged that He will do it again!

God is not man

Today’s verse points out that God is not man and He does NOT grow weary. God never tires of helping His child. He is NOT weary of helping you, dear Christian. We may grow tired of helping the immature believer because he does not seem to learn from his mistakes. But God is not like this at all. He is the ultimate Parent. He has perfect love, perfect patience and perfect mercy! This perfection is wrapped around the fact that He never gets tired. My friend, does this not encourage you?

~Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Our perfect God is wanting to to help us. He stands ready and He is waiting to renew the strength of the weary believer. When we allow Him to work in our lives, we are promised that He will renew our strength. Not only will He renew our strength, but He will do it in such a way that we will feel as though we are flying! We will come above our circumstances rather than be overwhelmed and covered by them.

God is perfect

God is not human and does not have the weaknesses that we have. His compassion allows Him to understand what we are going through. It is His perfect love that drives this compassion. Any parent can relate to this love and compassion. The love we have for our children is what motivates us when we discipline them – when we try to comfort them when they are hurt – when we try to teach them what is right.

God is perfect and, therefore, this perfection spills forth when He wants to encourage us. Isaiah captures this in Isaiah 40:31, doesn’t he? He says that in our weariness, if we wait upon God as He ministers to us through His Word, He SHALL renew our strength and we will be able to run (spiritually speaking) and not grow tired or faint. We will be able to go through our trial without falling apart. In fact, Isaiah takes it a step further and says that we will rise above our circumstances.

Friend, our weariness can be compared directly to the amount of time in the Word. The Lord promises to renew our strength in time of weariness. The wearier we are, the more we need the Word to cleanse us – to encourage us – to lift us up. I know that the last thing I want to do when I am sick is to open my Bible – but this is when I need to open my Bible. God has a promise there waiting for me if I do!

For the Weary – Day 25 – Comfort

On March 1, 2009March 1, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;(3) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (4)

where to find comfort

Where do you find your comfort? Do you find it in music? Do you find it in someone you love? Do you find it in distractions?

~Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Comfort found outside the Word of God is temporary. If you find comfort in music, what happens when the music is turned off? God’s Word permeates the soul. It makes us alive – that is what the word “quicken” means.

~Psalm 119:154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

It stands to reason that when we are in need of comforting, we can find permanent comfort in God’s Word. Not only will it make us alive, it will keep us focused on Him!

The more we are in the Word of God, the more we can be assured that we will find comfort within its pages. The believer who does not spend time regularly in the Word is like a car that does not get regular maintenance checks. Without fluids being added regularly, the car will being to spit and sputter and eventually break down. This is the plight of the believer who does not take time to read his Bible. When this believer needs comfort the most, he will not find it – he will turn to something else to find that comfort. Unfortunately, that comfort will be temporary and will not meet the believer’s deepest need!

the god of all comfort

Verse 3 says that God is the God of all comfort! We do not need to look anywhere else or with anyone else. We simply need to look to God for all our needs – all our comfort. He will provide us with exactly what we need at exactly the moment we need it. Yes, even during those times when He disciplines us, He provides that same comfort.

~Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We can rest assured that even when we are being disciplined by the Lord, He will give us the comfort we need. He will not allow us to be overwhelmed or exasperated as a result of His discipline. God’s compassion is above any man. His compassion never fails – His love is perfect.

~Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

god waits to give you comfort

Take control of your spiritual life, weary Christian. Do not let the devil has his way with you. He is the father of lies and is a lion seeking to devour you! Make time for God’s Word and find the comfort and peace that you are in such desperate need of. God desires to give you peace and comfort. In fact, not only does He provide that peace and comfort but you will find it He does this in a magnificent way! You will not be able to fully comprehend how you can possibly have His peace and comfort at the time. It is this perfect peace and comfort that will keep you going – the more you experience it the more you will want to stay on the right path for Christ. The more you will want to stay in the Word so you can constantly be refueled by Him! Don’t despair, dear Christian. Don’t give up! God is waiting to comfort you if only you will seek Him. Once you have found this comfort, it will keep your heart and mind encouraged.

~Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

For the Weary – Day 24 – Affliction

On February 18, 2009February 18, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

As I look at all of the self help groups that are out there today, I can’t help but wonder if those who attend actually walk away saying it was good for them to have been through the trial that led them to the counseling session. Many of today’s counselors are eager to encourage a person to place the blame for their plot in life on someone else. However, Christianity does not take that stand.

~Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Affliction

It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? It’s good for me to have been afflicted? Are you serious? But David thought so. Just why would he feel this way? The latter part of Psalm 119:71 has the answer: “that I might learn thy statutes.” God’s law is

God’s Lessons

You will look at the trials and traumas of your life with different eyes when you are actually wanting to learn something from God through it all. I realize that this is easier said than done. However, David practiced this. He actually believed that it was good that he had been afflicted! Why do you suppose he felt this way?

Results

I believe that David’s positive attitude was the result of a man who had actually seen God’s hand throughout the trial. He knew that each affliction would draw him closer to the Lord. I believe that each affliction was an actual opportunity to draw nigh to God.

~James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

In my opinion, we draw nearer to God when we become more Christ-like. Each time that we are convicted of sin, repent and truly change, we get closer to God. The Word tells us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). The only way we can achieve this is to allow the Holy Spirit to change us. Affliction allows us to turn to God in dire times of need. This is when we are most open to allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives. Next time trials come into your life, think on these things. God can and will use them for your benefit.

For the Weary – Day 23 – Well Doing

On February 10, 2009February 8, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

Christians, at times, can be overwhelmed by their circumstances. Christianity does not keep us from trials. In fact, we can count on experiencing trials because it is at that time that we grow closer to the Lord! We can see His hand of mercy and His grace throughout the trial!

Distraction is a good tool to take our eyes off our circumstances. The more we dwell on our trial, the more apt we are to yield to weariness. We all experience weariness from time to time. However, it’s what we do with weariness that can make or break us. Some trials can last a lifetime, like chronic illness, but the remedy is the same.

~Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

What a wonderful cure for weariness. Paul exhorts us not to be weary in well doing. Notice that he also encourages us and says that if we do not faint we will reap. I don’t think Paul meant the actual “passing out type of fainting” here. I believe he meant “weak and exhausted.” I’ve been there, haven’t you? Exhausted from my trials to a point where I ask myself, “What’s the use in even trying?”. This is where I must take my eyes off myself and focus on others.

The remedy lies in verse 10 of Galatians 6. Every opportunity we have to do something good for someone else, especially other believers, actually applies a sweet salve to our weariness. The more we apply this balm of healing, the weariness will disappear.

Our trials may not go away but the joy we receive from doing something for others will take our hearts and minds off our circumstances. Before we know it, we’ll see God’s grace in our lives – we’ll see that we are able to deal with the trial much better than before!

It’s amazing how much the Lord loves us and desires to help us through our trials. He provides answers in His Word to help us!

For the Weary – Day 22 – Circumstances

On January 16, 2009January 13, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

Life’s circumstances can be so overwhelming at times, can’t they? Some are so great that we need to step back and think things out or we will make snap decisions or say something we do not mean to say. It is then that we need to exercise our faith in the Lord as we try to figure things out.

Peter found himself in this situation. He started out well, but life’s circumstances got in the way and doubt crept in. Am I so different? Absolutely not! I have been guilty of this as well. As a result though, I have come to realize that God was right there with me and there was no need to fear. Let’s take a look at this account:

~Matthew 14:23-32 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (23) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (24) And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. (25) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. (26) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (27) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ( 28 ) And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (29) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (30) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (31) And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. (32)

Starting Out Well

I cannot point a finger at Peter at all because I have so been there! Haven’t you? Peter saw the Lord and wanted to join Him on the water. I can just picture myself in this same scenario. Had I seen Jesus Christ walking toward me on the water during a horrible storm, I think I would have been excited to see Him there! I think I would have wanted to be right there by His side because I would have known that it was the safest place to be.

Peter was the only one willing to exercise his faith. The Scriptures do not show any of the others willing to walk on the water. With the storm still raging about him, Peter had enough faith to make that first step out onto the waters. He started out well. He had enough faith to get him started. I have heard it said that many Christians start out well but they do not end well. I surely do not want to be counted in that latter number. I want to finish well in my service for the Lord!

Raging Storms

Peter’s faith was strong enough to make that first step onto the water. Just think about it. He was alone in this! Yes, Peter started out well. I have been in those shoes. In my early years as a new believer, I would start out in a trial and I would exercise my faith and believe that God would bring me through it.

But let’s see what happened next to Peter. The moment he saw the huge waves about him and the storm raging, he became afraid! It stands to reason that Peter could only see the waves because he took his eyes of Jesus. Had he kept his eyes focused on Jesus, the waves would not have been the center of his concentration and, therefore, seemed so terrifying. Instead Peter would have seen the joy in Jesus’ eyes because His child was trusting in Him. He would have been encouraged to continue on.

However, before we point a finger at Peter and boast of our own strength, could we actually have done any better? Have we done any better during our own trials? I know that I have failed miserably in this same area. I began my trial knowing the Lord would take care of me. However, the moment the fire was turned up a little, I took my eyes off the Lord and turned them upon my husband or a friend to help me through.

God’s Compassion

I love how this account ends. In desperation and fear, Peter cried out to Jesus and immediately Jesus rescued him (verse 31). Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to go down for the third time. Christ responded at Peter’s first cry. How many times have I waited to cry to the Father to help me? I can’t even count them all. Instead, I depended on others to comfort me during my trial when I could have gotten the perfect solace from my Heavenly Father! When we learn to turn to the Lord right away, we keep ourselves from getting discouraged because we have received His goodness and His grace.

Exercising Our Faith

God has given us these examples in Scriptures so that we may use them to teach us. As we read this beautiful depiction of man’s weakness and God’s grace, it should minister to us and teach us how to exercise our faith in God. When a trial comes our way, cry to God first. We need to allow the Lord to minister to us during our trials. God will respond but we must hear Him. Many times we allow ourselves to be distracted and we miss His still small voice; or we overlook a path that He has set before us and we choose the wrong one. However, if we listen intently – if we follow God’s direction, it builds our faith. God may use others, He may use His Word, He may use the Pastor as he preaches his message. But the bottom line is that God will respond when we cry out to Him.

How blessed we are to have such a compassionate God to serve! We are not alone in our trials. In the footprints of life, we will see God’s footprints ahead of us; or we will see His footprints beside us; and at times He will be carrying us. But we will never see our own footprints all alone. He will never give us a burden so heavy that we cannot carry it.

~Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

For the Weary – Day 21 – Dark Clouds

On January 12, 2009January 19, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

Weariness… it creeps on you like rain rolling in. You see dark clouds and a wall of rain from a distance yet the sun is still shining over you. Closer and closer the rain comes and you know that it’s only minutes before you are drenched. Weariness is the same – it doesn’t come quickly and out of the blue.

Weariness is a tool that the devil sometimes uses to overwhelm the believer. Ole slew foot is smart! He works slowly, methodically, making sure that you do not recognize his tactics. He creeps in unaware. By the time the believer is totally weary, he can no longer see the hand of God in his life.

~Psalm 105:1-5 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. (1) Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. (2) Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. (3) Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. (4) Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; (5)

In these beautifully written verses, the Psalmist gives us insight as to what we can do to overcome our weariness.

Give Thanks

Psalm 105:1 does not specify exactly for what we are suppose to thank God. However, God showed us elsewhere in His Word:

~Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

We are to thank God for the bad – the good – the uncertainties – for everything! It is hard to be sad when you have the attitude of gratitude. A thankful heart cannot be achieved during trials when all we’re doing is griping and complaining about our lot in life. Our heart is a muscle which needs to be exercised like any muscle. Therefore, exercising our faith and teaching ourselves to be thankful in all things will result in a strong, grateful attitude. It is so important to get a handle on this because whatever condition our heart is in will be revealed by the words we speak.

~Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Practice makes perfect. Starting today, thank God for your trials. You will be conditioning your heart – you will be exercising your faith and making it strong. The Lord says that whatever thoughts we harbor in our hearts will be reflected in our speech. It’s a dead give-away. Whether your trial is chronic illness, financial problems, marital stresses or other relationship problems, thank God for these in your life. When we experience a trial in our lives, it is our opportunity to be trained by God! When we don’t thank Him, our attitude is certainly not open to being taught. God wants to teach us to rest in Him – to draw upon His grace to make it through each day. When we moan and groan, our thoughts couldn’t be any further from the Lord. Thanking him in all things opens our heart to seeing what He wants to teach us. We are then able to glean from the Word and we are ready to accept His direction.

Make Known

Verses 1b and 2b speak of telling others what the Lord has done for us. When we keep His blessings to ourselves, we miss out on opportunities to give glory to God for His goodness and grace. We are to tell others of the trials we have been experiencing and how the God of Glory has brought us through them. This doesn’t mean that you now have center stage and can express every gory detail about the trial. But it does mean that you can generalize and then give every detail about how the Lord is bringing you through. Tell them that He is your light in the very darkest of nights. Give God the glory in all things and He will give you exactly the right amount of grace of each difficult moment of the day – He will sustain you!

Seek Him

Verse 4 encourages us to seek God’s face and His strength. Some trials will never go away. It is at these times that we must accept the fact that we will be living with this trial until the Lord takes us Home. It is those dear believers who need to seek Him and His strength minute by minute. There is nothing this believer can do to make this trial go away. Therefore, it is vital this believer gets his strength from the Father because in his own strength, he will fail. The Heavenly Father never fails!

So dear weary Christian, (1) give thanks in all things, (2) make know to others how God is bringing your through, and (3) seek Him and His strength. His grace is sufficient!

Give thanks with a grateful heart;
Give thanks to the Holy One,
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ His Son.
And now, let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say “I am rich”
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks!

by Henry Smith
© Kate Plourde 2009

For the Weary – Day 20 – Follow God’s Pattern

On January 9, 2009January 13, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

Weariness can sometimes come from our own personal sin. God does not impute our trespasses. What a wonderful thought!

~2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Noah Webster defines “imputing” as:

Charging to the account of; attributing; ascribing.

Strong’s defines it as:

G3049
λογίζομαι
logizomai
log-id’-zom-ahee
Middle voice from G3056; to take an inventory, that is, estimate (literally or figuratively): – conclude, (ac-) count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).

Imputing

***Sigh*** This is such a conviction to me! God does not charge my sin to my account. Not only that, He does not take an inventory of my sin.

I cannot say that I have followed God’s leading in this area. How many times have I been miserable within because I could not forget a trespass against me. God has used this to prick my heart and show me that I cannot move forward in my spiritual walk unless I follow His pattern.

Heeding the Holy Spirit

When we do not heed to the Holy Spirit’s convictions, it is as if our feet are planted in mud. At first, it is slightly difficult to walk in mud. However, as our feet become more and more covered in the mud, we find it is harder and harder to pull our feet out and move forward. So it is when we harbor ill feelings toward another.

~Hebrews 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (14) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (15)

When we are at peace with all men, we do not harbor grudges or ill feelings. Doing so causes the root of bitterness brings trouble within us. I cannot push forward for the Lord when my heart is in this state. If I succumb to this sin, I only fill my spirit with exactly what the devil would want. If I dwell in this state long enough, I become weary. This is not what God wants for us.

Reflection of God

We are to be as He is. We are to be molded into His likeness by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. As I submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading, I become more Christ-like in my nature. In turn, I will treat those who have offended me in the same manner as God treats me. I will forgive them – I won’t hold their offense against them – I will not keep an inventory of what they have done! Since God does not take an inventory of my sin, nor does He charge my account or remember my sins, nor should I!
© Kate Plourde 2009

For the Weary – Day 19 – Spiritually Centered

On January 8, 2009January 13, 2009 By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

I absolutely love this verse:

~2 Corinthians 13:14a The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Here we see the Trinity at work in the believer’s life. The love of the Father is so great (John 3:16) that He sent His Son to pay the penalty of our sin. Salvation rests totally on Jesus Christ – there’s nothing we can do to earn it. The only thing we need to do is to acknowledge this in our heart and repent from our ways. That is grace: unmerited favor. God’s love provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him by giving of Himself! What love – what provision!

Communion

My favorite part of this verse is the communion with the Holy Spirit! Noah Webster defines communion as “fellowship.” As I have communion with the Lord, I have fellowship with Him. I communicate with Him – I meditate on God’s love, grace, mercy, and His attributes. Doing so opens my heart to His nature. It helps me to know Him more intimately.

When I am weary, I fail miserably in this area. My thoughts, once again, revolve around my trial and circumstances. They are not dwelling on God’s attributes but they are dwelling on:

“Why is God allowing this in my life? Why won’t God take this away? Why me and not someone else?”

My communion with God has now become a one-way form of self-centered communication – it is no longer communion at all. I keep asking why instead of asking for His help through my suffering. Am I so different from the Apostle Paul in my feelings? Paul had a thorn in his side that he asked God to remove three times. God’s response to Paul was:

~2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Sufficient Grace

As I commune with God and express to Him the sorrows of my heart, He provides me with just the right amount of grace I need to go through that very moment. As with Paul, God may not take away my problem, but He does promise me that His grace is sufficient. He comforts my heart – He gives me strength to carry on – He showers me with His love, peace and comfort.

Greater Impact

Notice that God’s strength is revealed through us during our trials. When others see my faith in action during a trial, it becomes a testimony to them of God’s power in my life. Yes, there have been times that the Lord has removed my trial from me and I have given Him the glory. Others witness my joy and their faith is increased.

However, I believe that there is more impact in their lives when they see my faith in action. When we continue to rejoice in the Lord despite our circumstances, this testimony has greater impact. They actually see that God is carrying us through. It reminds me of the “Footprints in the Sand” story. God desires to help us through our trials and to even carry us.

Closer Relationship

My communion with the Holy Spirit brings much benefit to my spiritual walk. He instructs me, He speaks to me through His Word, He encourages my weary heart and He lifts me up. I now understand how the Apostle Paul was able to continue on in preaching the Gospel. He probably asked God to remove his thorn so he could better serve Him. As much as that sounds like a Christ-centered request, the Father said that He would receive more glory through Paul’s afflictions than without them. Paul’s relationship with God grew closer – it forced him to fully rely on God’s grace for each moment. We may think we know what is best for us but God’s ultimate goal always has our best interest.

When we reach this point in our spiritual walk, we can overcome weariness. Weariness is the result of trying to change our circumstances and failing. When we acknowledge that we cannot change them and fully rely on the grace of God to help us through, our focus is removed from our circumstances and instead placed on God. We now see that it has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with God. Rather than look at my trials with discouragement, I can now look at my trials with different eyes – I can see that through these trials, God will ultimately receive the glory and, as a result, will draw another closer to Him.

Is this not what Christ called us to do?

~2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Everyone of us has this ministry in life. We are to reconcile the unbeliever to God by sharing the Gospel. We are to reconcile the believer who has gone by the wayside to Christ by being a spiritual mentor. When we see ourselves in this ministry, we understand how God takes our trials and uses them to help another.

We find purpose for our lives. Weariness brings lies. We believe that because we are so sick, God cannot use us. Those are the devil’s lies. He is the father of lies and he is quite effective. But the weary Christian does not need to fall for those lies. Remembering that our ministry, sick or not, is to reconcile others to God, we now see ourselves with purpose in our lives! There is no greater joy in a believer’s heart than to know that God is using him for His work!

Press on, my friend!

Maranatha – Awaiting Christ's Return

Tag: For the Weary