When I find myself getting bone-weary from the hustle and bustle of life, I go back to one of my favorite Scriptures, Psalm 23. The first three verses say–
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
There are things in life that can offer refreshment to the physical body like a swim at the beach, or a good plate of food, but nothing compares to the refreshment offered by God. There is something about being with Him and gazing at Him that allows us to recalibrate our frazzled selves: body, soul, and spirit.
I believe that one reason for this is found in Acts 17:28—
For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
We tap into the Source of eternal strength when we spend time with our Father. He is the reason why we live, after all. He has put His breath into our lungs. He upholds us, day in and day out. The fullness of who we are can only embraced when we embrace Him–the reason for our living and being.
We may be surrounded by circumstances that heighten our emotions and tiredness, but every day, we can choose to step back—even for a moment—and gaze back at our reason and strength for living. We can remember that “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31
No matter what kind of work piles on our desk or confronts us on the field, there is the kind of strength available for us to make us soar like eagles. Eagles are some of the most majestic creatures on earth. They fly at great heights, seeing from above what many miss out from below. They have a perception sharper and fuller than those who merely hop like chickens on the ground. We have an invitation from the Lord to soar with His strength and power and perception. We have an invitation to step back from the hustle and bustle and look through our circumstances through His lens at the “heavenly places” where we sit with him (Eph. 2:6). Flying with Him does not only mean renewed strength, but it also means having a renewed vision for the tasks we have to do.
Like an eagle facing upward, getting ready for flight, let’s make it a habit everyday to face upward and gaze at our LORD’s face. He refreshes our soul. He takes us to the deep waters of His heart where we find that HIS joy truly becomes our strength.
Janina Marie Rivera is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine, a teacher of world literature, and a student of the Bible. She enjoys reflecting on life’s curve balls and plateaus. She resides in the Philippines, the country known for people who smile a lot.
