Burning Question:
What is your favorite way to draw near to God?
Morning Devotional:
Serving God is a joy but let’s be honest. It can also be incredibly demanding.
I have had many mountaintop experiences in my years of ministry. I’ve also had many seasons where the joy of serving Him has been buried under mountains of exhaustion, and the idea of continuing to serve Him has felt less like a privilege and more like just one more thing on an already overflowing plate.
It’s in those moments of exhaustion and futility when I find myself clinging to an important aspect of God’s grace. Grace isn’t just about forgiveness – it’s also about His supernatural strength.
We often think of grace as what we receive from Him when we make mistakes, and it certainly is that. Trust me, I know. But God’s grace also comes into play when we are running on empty and can’t take another step.
Consider what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Earlier in his letter, Paul talked about being pressed on every side, perplexed, struck down and persecuted. To me, that sounds like Paul should be exhausted! Yet he countered those statements by saying he wasn’t crushed, abandoned or destroyed. How could that be? It was because Paul understood God’s grace was sufficient. He had learned how to operate in God’s strength and not his own.
When I find myself running on empty, it’s a reminder to me that serving God isn’t about my ability, my cleverness, or my endless energy. It’s about His faithfulness. The next time you’re serving and the fatigue starts to set in, don’t see it as a sign to quit. Use it as an invitation to lean in. It’s an opportunity to experience the sustaining strength and grace He offers that will carry you through.
– Beth
Bible Quiz:
Question: What island was the apostle Paul shipwrecked on?
Answer: Malta (Acts 28:1)
Storytime: