Brenda and I drove back from town last night after getting supper. The sun was setting, and I mused out loud how quickly the weekend passed. It was jam packed with activity. She reminded me I planned all that activity. We were up early and going strong from Thursday all the way through lunch Sunday after the worship service. We both were exhausted. It felt nice not to have the evening service that night.
We were thrilled with all that God did. Hundreds of people showed up for outreach events and many new visitors worshiped with us Sunday morning. God saved two people in the service. It truly was a day of celebration. A full but exhausting weekend. I was in bed fast asleep a little after 9:00 pm last night.
I got up early to sit at this computer to write the devotion for this morning. I had no inspiration. I flipped through my Bible to see if anything jumped out of me. Nothing. I sat staring at the blank screen praying for some insight. Nothing. Finally, I reached to my right and took hold of a new book I just started reading hoping something in those pages would spark my imagination. I wasn't surprised when it happened. I was surprised by the direction.
By nature, I am a driven person. I love what God has called me to do. I go to bed frustrated nearly every day of my life that I did not accomplish more. There is always more praying to do, more study to do, more to write, more to read, more meetings to have, more appointments to keep, more pastoral visits to make, and more events to plan. Well, you get the idea. Always trying to do more. Often frustrated by not accomplishing more.
Then it hit me today. The same reality God has brought to my attention numerous times in the past. Sometimes I need to slow down so He can work in me before He can work through me. I need to slow the pace to enjoy Him more instead of rushing ahead trying to do more. I need to rest in Him instead racing off in a flurry of activity.
One of the activities that refreshes me is reading. I just do not give myself permission to do it much. I read in preparation for messages. I do not take time to read over prolonged periods of time to be renewed. I might read ten or fifteen minutes here or there. There is always so much more to do. Reading reenergizes me. Reading renews, refreshes, reinvigorates, and revives me. I used to make reading an integral part of my daily routine. I set goals to read a book a week throughout the year. Then, I got busy. Parenting. Pastoring. Planning. While I am surrounded by books, I lament that I do not make the time to read then like I want.
Even when I went on personal prayer retreats, I busied myself with writing blogs or books. I prayed on those retreats but used my time to write more than to read. This morning God's clear instruction for me was to slow down.
Psalm 23:2-3 (NASB)
2 He makes
me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet
waters.
3
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths
of righteousness For His name's sake.
Notice the word "makes" in verse two. He makes me lie down. He "leads" me beside quiet waters. He "restores" my soul. He "guides" me. All of these things indicate a slower pace of life. To take time to restore the soul. To cultivate the soul takes time. It means taking the foot off the accelerator. It means replenishing rather than emptying.
I am betting I am not the only one. We live in hurried times. Always in a rush. Going from one activity to the next, from one appointment to another. We cannot cultivate the interior soul when we live so frantically. We fall into familiar routines that become ritual more than God encounters. We do not always take the time to reflect in introspect. Some of our souls are weary and withered. They need to lie down in green pastures, and to slowly stroll beside quiet waters to be restored.
Restoring the soul is not a fast process. It is not like jump starting a dead battery on a car. You may get a quick start but the issue of the battery being weakened is not addressed. The next time the car is turned off it will need to be jumped off again. Take that battery and connect it to the trickle of a battery charger and the battery can be restored. It takes time. Restoring the soul takes time.
Nobody is going to do this for us. We have to be the ones to take charge of our schedules. To say no more often to good things in order to say yes to the best things of time with God. Restored souls can become revived souls. Worn weary souls can get burned out. So fatigued that a person just goes through the motions of life. They become too numb to experience God privately or publicly. If any are in this place, let Ps 23:2-3 sink into that weary soul. Let God trickle charge you to full restoration. Then you will be useful in His hands.
- Examine the recent pace of your life? Has it been draining on your soul or in balance?
- What activities replenish you? Have you recently taken time to engage in these?
- Describe the current condition of your soul? How is God leading you to cultivate your soul?
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