To conclude my 2024 series called, "When I Feel..." I thought I would cover a common scenario in the lead up to Christmas which is, "When I Feel...Exhausted."
Christmas is of course a season which is really about celebrating the birth of our wonderful Saviour. Unfortunately, it can be far too easy to get caught up in the pressures of gift-buying, sight-seeing and creating the perfect Christmas Day meal for what can feel like a reenactment of feeding the five thousand! Add to that a lack of sunlight (at least for us Brits) and a thousand germs flying around from person to person and before we know it, December can feel like an endurance test!
If you're feeling on the verge of exhaustion this month or perhaps already fully immersed in it, I pray this poem and devotional section can help and bless you. With much love, Lucy x
"When I feel exhausted and weary in my soul,Christmas is of course a season which is really about celebrating the birth of our wonderful Saviour. Unfortunately, it can be far too easy to get caught up in the pressures of gift-buying, sight-seeing and creating the perfect Christmas Day meal for what can feel like a reenactment of feeding the five thousand! Add to that a lack of sunlight (at least for us Brits) and a thousand germs flying around from person to person and before we know it, December can feel like an endurance test!
If you're feeling on the verge of exhaustion this month or perhaps already fully immersed in it, I pray this poem and devotional section can help and bless you. With much love, Lucy x
When my strength’s completely spent and trials take their toll,
When I feel depleted with nothing more to give,
May I come before You Lord, the God for whom I live.
You know how I have battled and struggled every mile,
I come into Your sanctuary to pause and rest a while.
Though my mind is feeling drained and utterly fatigued,
Help me now to seek the One in whom I have believed.
Draw me gently to Your side, for You do not grow tired.
Though I’m heavy laden, may my heart now be inspired.
Replenish me and fill me up, I ask of You today.
Restore to me the many things the locusts stole away.
Help me to evaluate the cause of my distress.
Show me what I need to change or possibly assess.
Give me grace to strip away or maybe rearrange,
Help me not to wrestle with the things I cannot change.
May my heart prioritise the tasks You’d have me do.
Let my soul surrender now, whatever’s not of You.
Renew my motivation Lord, for all that You have planned,
Refresh me as we face each day, walking hand in hand."
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Mark 6:31
“And He said to them,
“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.””
Jeremiah 31:25
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Heart Check
Am I feeling exhausted just now whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually? Have I become weary in my day to day life and feel like I don’t have the strength of heart to deal with things anymore? Do I feel like I’ve run out of steam and my energy reserves have completely run dry?
It’s important for us to identify when we’re running on empty and address the situation. I’ve heard it said, “You can’t pour from an empty cup” and that’s certainly proved to be true in my own life.
If we’re feeling exhausted and weary today, there are some steps we can take to help remedy the situation. The first and most important thing we can do, whatever area we’re exhausted in, is to come before Jesus in prayer.
As Mark 6:31 tells us, it’s imperative that we seek a quiet place, away from others and rest a while. Quite often, we come to the end of ourselves simply because we’ve been neglecting to do this each day. Time spent in quiet reflection with Jesus is vital for our health in every area. When we fail to take meaningful time to commune with our Saviour, we can lose perspective on things and end up trying to do everything in our own strength.
As Jesus lovingly reminded the stressed-out and over-worked Martha in Luke 10:41-42,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.””
That “one thing” Jesus was referring to was time spent, simply being with Him. Time when all others tasks and responsibilities were put aside and the focus was on being in His presence and being fed by what He had to say.
It might be a good moment to ask ourselves,
Have I been spending enough quiet time with Jesus recently?
It’s at the feet of Jesus when our problems shrink in magnitude and we can gain a clearer perspective on what’s needed and important.
Something else we can do to refill our energy is make time to physically rest. This may mean cutting back on tasks, delegating responsibilities or having to gently say “no” to some things. We’re of little help to others if we’re sick and run-down so making sure we carve out time for some physical rest is both biblical and essential for our health.
Another helpful thing we can do is recognising where our exhaustion stems from. As I suggested in my poem, we may need to ask the Lord to gently reveal to us anything that needs to be changed, prioritised or let go of.
Perhaps we’ve become weary from trying to live Christ-like lives in a world that’s opposed to Him and His ways. If this is the case, I think the words of Galatians 6:9 can offer us some encouragement for our down-trodden souls. The verse reads,
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
It can be so disheartening when we feel our efforts go unnoticed by a thankless world around us. When we can’t see any fruit from our labours we can be left wondering, “What’s the point in even trying?”
When our motivation is to shine the light of Jesus into a dark world and bring His name glory then there’s every point! We may not see the impact we’re having straight away or even at all in this life, but God sees our efforts and will reward our faithfulness to the calling. As Colossians 3:23-24 tells us,
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
May we take some time each day to have fellowship with Jesus, cast all our cares upon Him and allow Him to repair, replenish and restore our weary souls. Our Eternal God never tires, never weakens, never fails and His strength never runs dry. He is worthy to be trusted. Jesus will faithfully supply and equip us with all that we need to thrive and grow through the challenges we face each day. He is able!
