Running On Empty?

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.”

Sharon sat on the park bench looking out at the water. She had packed a sack lunch to avoid her coworkers’ usual invitations to join them in the cafeteria. At the pace her life had recently taken, Sharon needed time alone with God to reflect and refuel.

Unwrapping her sandwich and breathing in the mild summer breeze, Sharon thanked God for giving her strength to handle the extra responsibilities she had recently acquired due to her mother’s surgery. Not only did she have to care for her family, balance work, and get her mother settled in an assisted living center, but she would also need to tend to her mother’s plants, pets, and bills while she recuperated.

Father, Sharon prayed, I read in Psalm 1 that if I meditate on Your truths, You will make me like the trees planted by this river. Even in the stressful times, I can flourish. Sharon paused to look at the tall, strong trees lining the bank of the river. She listened to their leaves rustling in the wind and to the sounds of the birds perched in their limbs.

A lot of people seem to need me right now, Sharon continued, and that’s a little daunting. But I know I can serve them well if You strengthen me. I’m really counting on You.

While it’s true that seasons come and go, some seasons of life are decidedly more stressful than others. When we encounter especially daunting circumstances, we may be tempted to dig a hole and hide or at least whine in self-pity. But the Bible teaches that we can accomplish all God calls us to do if we depend on Him to supply the nourishment our souls need for the task.

Psalm 42:5 reminds us to hope in the Lord when we are distressed; His presence will restore our praises. If you are going through a stressful season, make time to seek God. Allow Him to fill your soul so you can pour yourself out without resentment or reservation.

Rest Assured

Father, fill my soul with living water so I can pour freely into those around me.

Rest in Him: Isaiah 55:10-11