Daily Journal: 25 August

Tiredness

In the story that is our life, we have highs and lows, mountains and valleys, open meadows and cave-dwelling. We meet people who champion us and go out of their way to help us and we meet people who block us and go out of their way to obstruct us. We have times where we gather and build and we have times where we suffer losses.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NCV)

There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.

At points, day after day of living our experiences, we can become tired, and weary.

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NCV)

Even children become tired and need to rest, and young people trip and fall. But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again. They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not need rest; they will walk and not become tired.

How do we rise from that bed of tiredness and embrace each day? Especially, when our tiredness has become weariness?

Psalm 30:5 (NASB)

Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Where does that shout of joy come from in the morning, when we’ve been weeping all night?

We may not feel ready for each day when we wake up at first. Maybe we’re just tired and haven’t had enough sleep. Maybe we’re tired because of our circumstances. But as we lie in our bed, before we get up, we gather our strength, and we place our hope and our confidence in the Lord.

In His strength, we are able to rise with a shout of joy. It isn’t something we can do all by ourselves. It is a secret we find through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When our tiredness becomes a blanket, we can choose to continue sleeping. That’s a luxury we don’t always have. In that case, we acknowledge our gratitude for the Lord’s continual presence. With His presence surrounding us, we choose to throw that blanket off and say:

Psalm 118:24 (NLV)

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it.

This attitude is a heart attitude. It isn’t by the will of the mind, it’s by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:4 (GNT)

May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!