Are You Spiritually Exhausted?

Oswald Chambers highlight for today...

"Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, (!), and whether or not you are exhauted will depend upon where you get your supplies."

Many people look at a person's sin and say, "that sin broke them," and miss that the brokenness came before the sin. It is not sin that breaks a person, it is self-powered service that breaks a worker of Jesus, and sin is the result. God desires to contrain us and empower us, but when we get so busy serving Him and neglect HIM we give up his retraining and are left to our own power and devices, which will fail us, be sure of that!

Oswald warns today, "Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted." I am sad proof that a worker for Jesus can go a very long time "holding it all together" with human effort, even if motivated by ministry and a sincere desire to please God, but the longer you rely on your own strength and abilities; the more you find yourself propping up, the harder and further you will fall when you loose your grip.

I envision myself as a man who built a dam and was standing in front of it holding it back, while at the same time adding to the water, even installing hoses that poured more water in, under finally the dam I built and filled finally burst, and took me away in the flow. Now downstream a bit, and the water having subsided some, am looking instead for a natural lake on whose shore I can just enjoy what God has created.

Oswald asks, "Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion?"

Later he boldly states, "You have no right to say - 'O Lord, I am so exhasted.' " This doesn't mean you will never be busy or feel tired, in fact, he says, "He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you (!). Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him."

If you are exhausted today... take some time TODAY to get with God and refill on Him.

And, if you are concerned with some water that is leaking out of the dam... Let it go. Allow God to bring the water level down to His level. Don't try to hold it back. Don't plug the leaks. God cares more about your ministry than you do, and HE will supply exactly what you need, and what you don't get, you probably didn't need.

I beg you, don't live exhausted. It isn't worth it, for you, or for those who love you.