11minutes
John 8:12
It’s the last day of the feast. It is concluded with much solemnity. There was
much sacred teaching on the foregoing days, much intenseness of mind. All
had ears concerned to hear the oracles of gospel truth. Lingering in the
minds and hearts was the expectation that God would establish His peace
on earth. Souls were wearied and desired refreshing.
John 7:37-39
Jesus called the Spirit “living water”. Sometimes spiritual reservoirs are
wearied and need replenishing. One of the insidious things about this
world…it will burden you. I must stay yoked up to Christ. I find studying the
whole of scripture is like drinking from the fountain of life and this keeps my
soul satisfied and uplifted. God’s call to the believer is perseverance and
finishing strong. I will battle spiritual weariness and indifference, but I must
continue to reap while there is time. I am to take care that my heart
motivations are right, that my thoughts are pure, and that the fruit of the Spirit
is evident in my life. I am also to be active in serving others by bearing their
burdens and showing them good will, such that they will see Jesus’ good
works in me and glorify my Father in heaven. I strive to never allow my works
to become mere form and function rather than the outworking of love and the
abundant life in Christ. God wants a heart of devotion, love, passion, and
commitment. Enduring isn’t simply continuing in doing “right things,” but it is
a matter of being determined and well ordered by the love of God. Many
rejections and more suffering than I can conceive of will bring much
weariness to my heart. I know this. But Christ is my hope. He never grows
tired or weary, and he promises to renew the strength of those who wait upon
him. Jesus knows and understands that relying on willpower alone to sustain
me spiritually is not going to suffice. He has made preparation for me.
II Corinthians 12:9, 10
When I am sensing a spiritual weariness, I acknowledge it is a condition of
sin. It is a time when the human flesh grows weary and spiritual fatigue sets
in. I repent of it and call to God. I know that strength will soon follow after.
Weary seasons are coming, are here now. Sin’s seed is bearing much fruit.
A world wide change will see many lost as they enter the paths of iniquity.
God’s people will finish everyday with a sigh, a cry. My heart pleads – no
more. It hurts to take account of the sorrows of the soul as I witness the many
who are missing God’s voice calling. Lament has its place, and this act of
bringing my worst pains before God’s presence, is a vulnerable and sacred
act whereby I desire to give hope of abundant life I know His promises. Jesus
came into the weary world. And because of Jesus, I’m not alone in
weariness. My every burden is shouldered by him. This close relationship
becomes a way of learning, growing, and knowing God deeper. I have this
relational invitation from God to align my heart with the life of His Son.
Spiritual weariness is a lifelessness that worms its way into the soul. It can
wear upon the heart and the mind - in a way that gives pause to establishing
thoughts that strengthen the spiritual core. It’s more than something physical.
It’s spiritual. Where does deep soul weariness come from? It surpasses
understanding. That’s why Jesus says, “come unto me".
The burdens of God’s people are not simple. And only the word of God
is strong enough to relieve this heaviness. Into this weariness steps the
most complex power in existence, speaking a promise as simple, hopeful,
and refreshing as I could possibly want. Jesus simply offers himself as the solution
to all that burdens his people.
Matthew 11:28-30
This is the uniqueness of Jesus as who he claims to be: the eternal Word
made flesh, the Creator. His simple promise implies a power behind it, more
than sufficient to lift every weight that bears upon me. And here is where the
faith of the burdened soul is tested. In just believing his promise. This is the
evidence and the substance wherein I find rest and assurance, that in these
last days, my God is for me. Jesus does not want my soul resting on the how
and when of things. Rather he wants my faith, my trust, resting in the surety
that he will keep his promise to me in the best way, and at the best time. This
is the hope that I rest in. And the distraction of weariness is made non-
existent. And the only work for me to do is to yoke up and abide in him.
However, please hear this about spiritual weariness…it’s a reminder that to
be poured out in God’s service is not a bad thing. I was reminded that I’m
not on this earth for comfort. Comfort is not a biblical principle. The time is
short and if I am doing the work of Christ I do not have the choice of
comfort…I am on wartime footing. I choose to seek strength from the Lord,
rest in the grace of Christ, and set my heart on the rest to come.
The world today is fallen. And spiritual weariness is a hard thing, not
necessarily a bad thing, when it brings you to seek God. When I am weary, I
am weary for a cause. I have no strength to save. To do the things God has
called me to do, may bring weariness at times, but it is a sign that work has
been done. If I be spent, let me be spent for God’s glory. I accept it as a
season of life responding to the calling of God. God uses this to discipline
me and to cultivate true rest. I must be willing to follow Jesus into the little
discomforts. Spiritual weariness is part of my living sacrifice to the Lord as I
am found in the center of His will. It is for my perseverance that I am to press
on through the weariness for the prize. Not of earthly satisfaction, but an
upward call to lasting rest in Jesus Christ, the everlasting God. It is a sign of
being called by God to be weary in the Lord’s work and not be
weary of the Lord’s work. Faith will heal all weariness. It is in the hour of
spiritual weariness that I wait on God’s timing. And it is in the waiting that I
may extend hope to other fainthearted souls. Because I choose to not
murmur, I benefit from the silent effect in the same way that the Holy Spirit,
as the wind, lifts those who are waiting in hope. This is not a blessing that I
will forfeit. It is in the most uncomfortable situations in these last days that
God will produce in me, the complement to help others see the goodness and
sovereignty of God in all of life. I must allow my spiritual weariness to identify
with Jesus.
John 4:6
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