Beat

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” -  Psalm 51:12

How was the weekend?

If you are like me, sometimes by Sunday afternoon I’m beat.  After all, I’m a pastor, and I do work my one hour a week on Sunday mornings.

I think it can be safely said that much of what goes on in most of our lives has a tendency to beat us down.  Work pressures alone in a sluggish economy weigh heavily on many people.  People unemployed, underemployed, employed but worried about the future of their employment.  I know so many people who are living on financial edges.  I ache for them.  It probably has the long term effect of breaking their hearts. The net effect of such living (like many do these days) is that many decent hardworking people are beat. Simply beat.

The verse above from one of my favorite Psalms is about being refreshed.  But seriously note who it is that does the refreshing.  It is God.  David (the author) writes “Restore to me….grant me….”  He is asking (praying) God to do it.

If you are trying to restore joy and your spirit through your own efforts…it won’t work.  What it takes is to slow down enough, to quiet yourself enough that you can hear God’s “still small voice.” (visit 1 Kings 19:12)  Pray.

You can’t do it yourself; but you can prepare yourself for God’s blessings.  Allow him to restore the joy of your salvation; allow him to grant you a willing spirit….”

The only work you need to do is to be open for God to do his work.

And he wants to.

Have a blessed week!