I just got back from a week-long cruise.  It was a wonderful getaway-a rare week with just me and Lacie.  No kids.  No meetings.  No phone calls.  It provided me a unique and much needed opportunity to recharge and refuel.  I spent a great deal of time in prayer and meditation about the work that lay ahead.  It allowed me to refocus on why I do what I do as well as whom I truly serve.  Sometimes, we get so busy “doing” that we forget exactly why we’re doing it in the first place and whom we are doing it for.  In other words, if you’re not careful, it is entirely busy to do the Lord’s work and be spiritually empty while doing it.  It’s kind of like being on a hamster wheel.  The hamster keeps going around and around on the wheel in a seemingly endless cycle because that is what it knows to do.  This cycle leads to a spiritual rut.

A verse that I’ve been focusing on a lot lately is Exodus 33:14.  “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’”. This comes from the Biblical account of Moses’ encounter with the glory of the Lord.  Moses was growing weary of leading the Israelites.  You will remember that they weren’t exactly an easy bunch to lead.  They were temperamental and spiritually shallow.  The Lord kept telling Moses to lead His people, but Moses was getting tired and wanted to know who would be going with them.  This led to the Lord’s profound declaration that He Himself would be present with them and would provide the rest and recharge that they needed to keep going.  Later on in this account, the Lord tells Moses that He will do this because He is pleased with Moses and even knows Him by name.  What a comforting thought that is!  The Creator of the Universe will give us the rest that we so desperately need because He knows us by name!  Wow!  This verse has refocused me, reminding me to allow His presence to accompany me in every aspect of my life.  I don’t want to get so busy doing the Lord’s work that I fail to walk with Him and find rest in His presence. 

Are you weary?  Do you need to recharge?  Do you need rest?  Look for the Lord.  Allow Him to walk with you.  Find comfort and peace in his presence and never forget why you do what you do and who it is that you truly serve.

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP