Finding Rest
Jeremiah 31:25 I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired.
You don’t often hear people in my position talk about the fact that we get tired. After all, I’m the preacher. I’m supposed to have all the answers. Yeah, right! But we do get tired. Very tired.
And yes, there have been times when exhaustion and weakness have rolled up on my doorstep. Even though I stay fit and healthy, even though I eat healthily, even though I prioritise rest and time with my family, sometimes, it all just swamps you.
The reason I share that is that I want to set you free to some extent in the knowledge that no, it ain’t just you. Tiredness comes in many different forms: physical of course, but also emotional and spiritual. Sometimes it’s a perfect storm – all three at once.
So, you end up feeling week, feeling tired, feeling wholly inadequate to face the world, feeling frankly, like something of a fraud – I call myself a Christian, I trust in God, why isn’t it working? What am I doing wrong?
Open a Bible, read anybody’s story – from Adam and Eve, through to Moses, Abraham, Joseph, David … on to the Apostle Paul in the New Testament and yes, even Jesus – and you’ll discover that tiredness hit them all. Can I repeat that? One hundred percent of those Biblical A-listers experienced exhaustion. So, what to do? Answer? Trust in God:
Jeremiah 31:25 I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired.
Charles Spurgeon once said this: “Throw yourself upon God’s faithfulness as you do upon your bed, bringing all your weariness to His dear rest.”
When nothing else works, throw yourself upon God.
That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.