Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- March 31, 2014
Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well…Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’” John 4:6, 31-32
Life has a way of wearing us down. Constant digital connection exhausts our emotional energy, saps our attention span, and depletes our physical strength. There are especially intense cycles of life that require a robust infusion of spiritual strength. Training our children can be overwhelming, starting a new job may require a radical learning curve, and health or relational issues tend to tire us out. Our physical weariness is an opportunity for invigoration by the Spirit.
Jesus, while hungry and tired–looked outside of Himself to the inner hurt of another human being. His body was exhausted, but His spirit came alive to do the will of His heavenly Father. Indeed, it’s in our weakness that we can engage the strength of doing God’s will. By God’s grace we can convert our physical cravings into spiritual energy. Stamina comes to souls surrendered to God’s will. Faith feasts on food unavailable to unbelief. Yes, we can be strong in our weariness.
“If you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food” (Proverbs 23:2-3, NKJV).
Physical appetites need not consume us. Hunger, thirst, and sexual appetites are desires meant to drive us to the Lord, not away from the Lord. The soul rules over the body, not the body over the soul. If we are preoccupied by our physical needs, we lose touch with our affection for our heavenly Father. This is why determined soldiers are able to persevere through painfully adverse elements to win the battle. Disciplined athletes keep their bodies in submission, so they can reach their goals. So, in our weariness–we are strong, as we default to the habit of carrying out God’s will.
Furthermore, like Jesus–we are wise to regularly take time to stop and rest. We sit down so we can refresh our soul, not bloat our body. We pray for those we can engage in conversation about Christ. Spiritual discussion can clarify our thinking and change our behavior for the better. So, we ask God who needs our intentional investment of time: a single mom, a troubled teenager, a successful executive or homemaker? Strength in our weariness comes from doing God’s will.
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, use my physical desires to move me toward doing Your will.
Related Readings: Proverbs 13:4, 16:8; Matthew 21:18; John 6:27; 1 Corinthians 1:25
Post/Tweet today: Stamina comes to souls surrendered to God’s will. Faith feasts on food unavailable to unbelief. #wisdomhunters
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