Devotionals

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If you’ve ever admired the seemingly endless energy of a child…and then slumped back into your favorite armchair after a long day, then you probably understand a little something about physical weariness. We work all day and we’re tired. We play all day and we’re tired. For now, we live in these miraculous, albeit vulnerable, ‘earthsuits’ and they have their limitations. In our current destructible form, bodily weariness is inevitable.

But, we are created in the image of God and we are more than just the flesh and bones of these earthsuits – we are everlasting spirits. Harbored within our material bodies is the immaterial substance of our soul. That ‘substance’ is the very mark of Creator God on us; it is the breath of His nostrils translated into life and awareness in our being.

It is interesting (and perhaps, comforting) to consider that the majority of our existence will be spent apart from these bodies we temporarily man. In fact, we read that one day our bodies will eventually be changed and glorified. (See I Corinthians 15:51-52, 2 Corinthians 3:18) However, our inward person journeys on immortally. There’s just more to us than these earthsuits which are so readily seen and so quickly judged. More than flesh, we are spiritual beings. As such, we are capable of ‘spiritual weariness’. But, is it inevitable?

Physical fatigue overcomes us in the busy rigor of life. Spiritual fatigue overcomes us while we are distracted by that busyness and focused elsewhere than the Cross. It can creep up on us slowly or suddenly, but the end result is diminished spiritual vibrancy. We may settle into this condition and linger awhile, but we won’t feel cozy there. We were never created for listlessness and listlessness will never feel good to us. Yet, so many of us live in a sort of Christian comatose with a dwindling passion for the Divine.

So, what do we do when our spirits just get ‘plumb tired’? We can nap our sleepy minds. We can massage our achy backs. We can soak our swollen feet. But, how do we reinvigorate our souls?

There is a remedy. “There is a balm in Gilead”. God has a supernatural system of renewal. We are invited to breathe Him in and be refreshed by the invigorating power of His Word and His Spirit. God has a plan for our spiritual health and nourishment: prayer, worship, Bible reading and church attendance. We are to center ourselves on these things and from them derive a transcendent strength for a life marked with vitality and purpose.

No one is so torn down that they cannot be lifted up. Each beloved child of God is invited by our Good Shepherd to find recuperation in Him: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, KJV, Words of Christ)

God delights in “giving power to the weak” and He knows how to “heal the broken hearted and set the captive free”. (Isaiah 40:29) We must remember that God is an expert Life-Giver and He knows how to stir His own and infuse them with animation. He desires that each of His followers “have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

In Him, we can find this new kind of strength and peace – permeating and satisfying. In Him, we find that “though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.” (II Corinthians 4:16) Yes, we’ll still want to put our feet up and slump back into that cozy armchair after a long day. But, while our feet ache, our spirits can soar.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31, KJV

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