“Rrrrr-Rrrrr-Rrrrrr”. Nothing!
That is the sound of me trying to start my motorcycle one day last summer. It simply would not go. I took mechanics in high school and I am not afraid to tear things apart, so I started checking everything that I could think of on that bike. Still nothing worked.
Finally, I remembered that when I parked it a few days previously, the “low fuel light” had just come on. Sure enough, it was out of gas. After all my goofing around, testing and changing things, there really was nothing wrong with my motorcycle. It was just out of gas.
If my life had a “low fuel light”, it would be on today. I am tired. Sundays, of course, are big days for me with lots of people, lots of activity and lots of adrenaline spent. Mondays (today) are often sort of “hard to start”.
As I sit in front of my computer trying to come up with something interesting to write about, I have got nothing. I feel pretty empty. I gave out all my inspiring insights yesterday. I used all my funny stories. I am done.
That is not an unusual situation though. In fact, the Bible often shows God’s people needing to taking time out to refuel, refocus and start again.
Take Elijah for example. In 1 Kings 18 we see him winning a great victory over the prophets of the false god “Baal”. The people get to see the power of the real God. Yet, a few days later, we find Elijah tired, worn out and saying, “I have had enough, Lord… Take my life (1 Kings 19:4). The weariness of work caught up to him and he needed some refreshment.
The Gospel of Luke often shows Jesus getting away to spend quiet time in prayer and refreshment. “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16). Jesus had lots to do, but he also found time to be “filled up” in prayer and time with God.
If you are “running on empty” today, do not be discouraged. It does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with your spiritual life. Maybe you just need to slow down, listen and spend some time being filled up again. After all, if Jesus, the Son of God, needed it, we likely do too.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
That is the sound of me trying to start my motorcycle one day last summer. It simply would not go. I took mechanics in high school and I am not afraid to tear things apart, so I started checking everything that I could think of on that bike. Still nothing worked.
Finally, I remembered that when I parked it a few days previously, the “low fuel light” had just come on. Sure enough, it was out of gas. After all my goofing around, testing and changing things, there really was nothing wrong with my motorcycle. It was just out of gas.
If my life had a “low fuel light”, it would be on today. I am tired. Sundays, of course, are big days for me with lots of people, lots of activity and lots of adrenaline spent. Mondays (today) are often sort of “hard to start”.
As I sit in front of my computer trying to come up with something interesting to write about, I have got nothing. I feel pretty empty. I gave out all my inspiring insights yesterday. I used all my funny stories. I am done.
That is not an unusual situation though. In fact, the Bible often shows God’s people needing to taking time out to refuel, refocus and start again.
Take Elijah for example. In 1 Kings 18 we see him winning a great victory over the prophets of the false god “Baal”. The people get to see the power of the real God. Yet, a few days later, we find Elijah tired, worn out and saying, “I have had enough, Lord… Take my life (1 Kings 19:4). The weariness of work caught up to him and he needed some refreshment.
The Gospel of Luke often shows Jesus getting away to spend quiet time in prayer and refreshment. “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16). Jesus had lots to do, but he also found time to be “filled up” in prayer and time with God.
If you are “running on empty” today, do not be discouraged. It does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with your spiritual life. Maybe you just need to slow down, listen and spend some time being filled up again. After all, if Jesus, the Son of God, needed it, we likely do too.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
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