I woke up feeling especially tired today.
Like latent fingerprints left on glass, the impression and impact of this past weekend’s intense physical exertion lingers in my body. Preaching, praying, prophesying, and praising to fulfill 3 consecutive days of ministry engagements was quite taxing. Though I have been making it a point to get as much rest as possible, I have learned from experience that it takes time for my body to recharge and renew.
So when I opened my eyes this morning, they involuntarily squinted, nearly forcing me to close them again. In fact, my eyelids have behaved quite rebelliously each morning since returning home from South Carolina Sunday.
Had I succumbed to their will and rolled back over earlier today, Daily Cup family, I’m telling you. Those birds chirping their beautiful lullabies outside my window would have lulled me right back to sleep in no time.
Seeming to weigh a ton, my heavy lids sagged. But I blinked multiple times, tossed the covers back, and drug myself out of bed anyway. I had too many important things to do to allow weariness to rob me of my morning.
I knew if I could get my feet to hit the carpet and carry me the short distance to the bathroom sink, by the time I splashed some water on my face, my sluggish and tired eyes would fully pop open.
I was right.
Once my lethargic frame got the memo that sleeping the day away was not one of the check-off items on the daily “To Do” list, I began feeling instantly perky. I was able to complete my morning routine and thankfully, I have been feeling great thus far. I’m well on my way to completing my current essential tasks.
I’m sure you have had moments when you had to push through some sort of resistance to accomplish an important duty. Your potential hindrance may have been physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. But to avoid that challenge becoming a detrimental setback, you had to persevere through it, didn't you?
That moment of resistance required you to command yourself to keep moving forward anyway.
That’s just the way life goes.
Like it or not, we all get weary sometimes, but not merely from a physical lack of sleep or bodily rest. Our mind, soul, spirit, and emotions can become so worn that we want to stay in bed, pull the covers over our heads, and let our blankets be our personal refuge from the world.
But if we respond emotionally to outward stimuli, allowing numerous distractions to dictate or control our responses, we will live defeated lives. We will stop when we should go. We will find ourselves waving the white flag of surrender instead of, like a bull, charging ahead toward the red waving flag.
That’s why we have to rely on God’s help to push through and press forward with persistence.
We must persist through mental tiredness, discouragement, trials, failures, disappointments, emotional turmoil, or anything else that comes to steal our resolve, and weaken our fortitude.
Push.
Keep going and let the Lord be your strength.
To remind you to do this, I’m stirring Psalm 18:32 NIV into your cup of inspiration. It says, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup of inspiration, you will be reminded, even in weakness, that God, who is strong and mighty, will see to it that you are endued with power from on high to make it through. You are not alone. And when you have gone as far as you think you can go, the Father's strength will sustain you.
Be encouraged.
Now let’s pray together.
Father, I thank You for strengthening, equipping, and empowering me to live a victorious and purpose-filled life. Even though it is not always easy, please teach me to trust You and rely on Your power more each day. It is only in You that I live, move, and have my being. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
