Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ~1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
There comes a point in the life of every believer when we are able to identify the enemy in front of us. His offers of temptation stick out like a sore thumb, and we have learned not to take the bait by experience. His lies that are thrown out to undermine the truth we know from Gods word becomes a joke because our faith is strong and our desire to walk in victory over our enemy and our circumstances rises up on the inside of us enabling our faith to proclaim the outcome before we ever walk into the battle. At that point it’s time to start paying attention because if the enemy can’t draw you into believing his lies, he will try to push you into it. He catches us overloaded and over-burdened and makes us believe our options are limited. We have to do this, or we need to do that and the next thing we know our plate of tasks is full and our cup of joy is empty. There are lots of things we do that are permissible but that doesn't mean they are profitable. The Lord teaches us in 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are permitted, but not all things are profitable. All things are permitted, but not all things build up.” (LEB) If we don’t take time to build ourselves up, how are we ever going to build up others? We are told in Hebrews 10:23-24 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another towards love and good deeds.” (NIV) Encouraging and building up others takes energy and we won’t have that kind of energy if we don’t take time to allow the Lord to encourage and build us up in His word.
Has allowing God to refresh you in His word been put on the back burner so to speak? Are you overbooked? Have you over committed yourself? We all get there at one time or another and “exhausted” is not a place where God wants us to be. Exhausted people get exasperated quickly. They lose focus and they lose peace. God doesn’t want us living at the end of our rope. Jesus retreated to the mountains often to pray and seek God’s presence and we should as well. When we take time to let God refresh us, we are more able to help others and the Lord gives us understanding and wisdom for our own lives. When we pray, we need to take time to listen to the Spirit of God. God speaks to His people every day. The question is “are we listening?” We don’t want to haphazardly bounce through life with no clear direction. We want to press through life, driven to do God’s will at every opportunity. That is what we have been saved for. We cannot create a map to successful Christian living for those around us by not being dedicated to our call. Break away from the demands of today and spend time in the presence of your Lord and see if He doesn’t redeem that time and make the rest of your day more productive. Let His Holy Spirit speak to you and guide you through your day. You will never lose by spending time with God.
The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to do His will. ~Isaiah 50:4 (NLT)
How do you experience refreshment from the Lord?
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