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BEING RESTORED TO FRESHNESS AND VIGOUR
Posted By Susanne
Renew. My Webster’s English Dictionary defines it as : to restore to freshness or vigour; to begin again,to make or get anew, to replace.
Since the festivities of Christmas have finished and the new year has come and gone, I have felt tired. Really tired. And unmotivated. It seems all my thoughts, plans and energies went into the holidays and making them special and now the “crash and burn” feeling that accompanies the joy and fun of making all that happen has hit with full force.
Time to get back to a routine. Routine with days. Routine with eating. Routine with family schedules. Routine with, gasp, exercise. But in getting everything back to some semblance of normalcy, I find I am still fighting being oh, so, drained of strength. Something is missing. I need that restoring to freshness and vigour.
I am reminded of that very visual scripture in Psalm portraying a thirsty deer.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, o God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Psalm 42:1-2
And I am forced to think, in all my getting back to routines, have I made sure I made the one most important of routines be reintegrated into my days? Is my tiredness because my soul is trying to tell me I am thirsting and panting for God and meeting with Him? Am I tired because I am thirsty, thirsty for God’s refreshing living water?
And I realize that that is truly it. Once I have stripped away all everyday, self-made routines I am left with what I truly need. And that is the living God. And through that time with God, I am restored and renewed, in mind and spirit and body so that I have hope. And God tells us in Isaiah 40:31:
“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 faint.”
Have you added the most important routine of all to a part of your day? What are some ways you can change your day so that you daily have your “meeting” with God?
Jan 9th, 2007
I have not always had devotion time, or time with God. I prayed in the car, I prayed here or there. i prayed at dinner, or when my kid had a boo-boo. And that was good, but not enough. When I started my routine of blogging, I made myself get up every morning. Now I have my devotion, and prayer before I even start my day. Sometimes as simple as reading this post. I can not tell you the energy and peace that I have throughout my day. The feeling that i can get things done, and all will work together for good!
Yesterday, I woke up at 2 am, by 3 I rolled out of bed accepting defeat, I was not going back to sleep. Last night at 10 I was still energized. My hubby asked how I was not falling out, I said Supernatural Strength. It is so true. My time with God gave me strength all day!
Thanks for the reminder!
I was just writing in my journal the other day that everything feels so much better - so much more “right” - when I am spending consistent, quality time in God’s Word and in prayer. With a baby around, it can be hard to have a set time, but when I make the effort to ensure that at some point every day I take a time-out to be alone with God, it truly is refreshing and rejuvenating. I may still be physically exhausted, but there is a peace and renewal in my soul that carries me on through the day.
I’m with Katrina, on this. With an 8 month old who doesn’t like naps and who has tons of energy, it is hard to get quiet time alone with God. I struggle for the time to be alone with God. I’ve been trying to get up earlier, so I can have alone time with Him. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of time, I feel at peace and God gives me strength to get through each day.
Thank you for your beautiful post, Susanne.
I think I mentioned to you I had worked on a formal schedule. I was sure to schedule in a few things that needed to be in there such as, as you put it… gasp… exercise.
BUT, I determined that first and foremost what must find time in my schedule was time with God.
I am NOT a morning person!!! I was scheduling my time in the eve’s once the kids went to bed. What I found was I was pretty drained by then also. Or I had a million other things that needed to get done before I felt like my night could end, it was just one more thing on my list to do, and sometimes I would even fall asleep…
So, the last couple weeks I have been getting up an hour earlier than usual. I take the time to get a pot of coffee going, I sit for a few minutes and just “wake up”, and then I spend that time. I am journaling my way through a book and that helps to get and keep me focused. I HAVE noticed the difference in my days, and somehow, my evenings now also seem so much more relaxed.
Thanks for this reminder to the challenge that was brought to my heart. I need to keep brininging it to the forefront as getting up that early is not something I am considering enjoyable, but the calmness and peace it brings is! Thanks for continued encouragement!
Thank you for the invite over from your blog, Suzanne. And thank you for the reminder to schedule my meeting times.
What a timely post. Every year I tell myself that I will not abandon my quiet time during the Christmas season, that I will focus on the reason for it. This year like every other one, I have let my to-do list win out over my quiet time. In my 20 year struggle to consistently maintain a quiet time, I have sometime been able to spend that quiet hour alone with my cup of coffee and God…but sometimes don’t even have 15 minutes. On those days, I have learned just open your Bible or devotional book and give God what few minutes you’ve got. He doesn’t need 15 inutes to speak to your heart. He can do it in two. Thanks again for a great post.
Great post Susanne! I am trying really hard to consistently get up before my family. I could easily be a night owl, but I need to meet with the Lord in the morning, otherwise it is in risk of not happening at all. And again this is why I love the life journal, because if I do nothing else I do this.
Thanks so much Susanne for a most important reminder!
What a beautiful post! I know that my life feels so much more complete and content when I’m remembering to keep God first.
I love the Psalm 42:1-2
and yes I have added the most important routine of all into a part of my day. Particularly this year. As I have set myself the goal of reading the whole bible this year. Im using this plan to do it www.oneyearbibleblog.com
Thanks for a lovely post. The best part of beginning again for me, is getting back to God’s Word—every chance I get. He is bringing renewal to my heart, and everything else is gradually starting to fall into place.
love your blog!
Thanks Susanne.
I am mostly good about having that first meeting of the day with God, but that doesn’t mean I thirst or pant for Him. That’s what I want. I want it to be my first desire, my last desire, my ongoing desire throughout the day. . . . I try to incorporate that into my prayer life, because I know it’s a prayer that God wants to answer.
I want to do this more routinely…I don’t and I wonder why when life gets crazy that is often the first to go and yet nothing makes sense without it.
Thank you for this reminder.
Laura
I have started to listening to more Christian music. In the car I listen to almost exclusively to the Christian station. I fin this helps so much when quiet times are hard to find.