FINDING AND RECEIVING THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME WEARINESS

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. 
(Psalm 105:4)

MEDITATION:
We all experience times of tiredness and weariness.
No matter how much or what we want to do, 
we just don’t have the energy we need.
The world of medicine has created all kinds drugs to help us in many ways.
Some of them give us a burst of temporary energy to overcome our tiredness.
But when we want to overcome our weariness over the ‘long haul’,
where can we find the help we need?

The Bible tell us where we can find a lasting strength.
The Lord can provide for all of our needs, when we diligently seek Him.
Even when we are unsure of our needs, He knows the essentials that will 
provide us with the stamina to cope with and overcome our weariness.

The scriptures tell us to ‘seek His face always’.
In other words it is not a ‘one and done’ effort, 
but a daily lifestyle of seeking Him.
How can we fulfill these instructions?
We read His Word (daily), we pray to Him (daily), 
we worship Him (daily, and corporately at least one day a week),
we thank and praise Him for His provisions (daily),
we express our faith in Him through prayer and actions (daily),
we show our trust in Him through our tithes and offerings (faithfully).

Some say that they have trouble ‘connecting’ with the Lord,
but they never step out on faith to show they trust Him and His words.
It is easy to say we love the Lord and have faith in Him,
but if we never give Him the opportunity to prove His words are true,
then how can we ever expect to increase our faith and feel His presence?

ACTION:
If someone were to ask you, 
“When is the last time you left your comfort zone to obey the Lord 
and trust Him to provide for your needs?” what would you say?
Can you point to a specific time when you totally trusted Him?
How can you expect your faith to increase if you never trust His promises?

Some people have said they don’t go to church because 
it is full of hypocrites and the preacher is always talking about money.
First of all the church is not full of perfect people.
We are all imperfect but the blood of Jesus covers our sinful past,
so we can obey His command to ‘not give up meeting together’.

Secondly, pastors do not always talk about money, but when they do, 
it is because they want others to know that God doesn’t need our money, 
but He blesses us when we return what belongs to Him.
“Belongs to Him”? Yes, and when we don’t tithe, we are robbing Him.
Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees 
and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the 
LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal 
rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:7-8)

Robbing God is not a way of seeking the Lord’s face always.
Let that sink in for a moment – failing to tithe 
is robbing the One who created you.
It is as if we are saying, 
“God I don’t think You will take care of me if I tithe, so I am going 
to keep what belongs to You for myself, so I can provide for my needs”.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I have failed to express my faith by trusting You 
and Your promises. Forgive me for not seeking Your face always 
and for not confirming my faith in You is real through my actions. 
Show me how I can increase my faith by trusting You more. Help 
me to step out of my comfort zones and step into my faith in You. 
According to Your Words, I rob You when I fail to tithe. Help me 
to start showing my faith through my actions and my obedience to 
Your commands.”

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