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Refill Your Tank
Andrea Lende • May 14, 2021
Mark 1:34-35
Refill Your Tank
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Refill-Your-Tank-e10t7j7
Mark 1:34-35
“And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [intuitively].”
“And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.”
If there ever was a busy person, it was Jesus.
He was busy throughout His three-year ministry.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, preached day after day, and walked everywhere He went.
I can hardly imagine how it must have felt to begin His ministry knowing He had just three short years to change the world.
He expended massive amounts of energy all the time.
When He healed the woman with the blood flow, He said He felt the healing energy flowing out of Him.
There was a constant flow of energy draining Him, but He knew how to recharge.
He prayed.
Our passage tells us He was up far before daylight to pray.
He didn’t sleep in to regain strength.
He didn’t go to the synagogue and pray with others.
He went to a deserted place to spend time with God, His Father.
And this wasn’t the only time He went to a quiet place to pray.
After He had ministered to the thousands and fed them with loaves and fish, He sent His disciples on ahead of Him and went to the mountain to pray.
I have wondered why these passages were important enough to include in the Word.
Today I saw something new.
When Jesus had expended significant energy, He needed to be alone and recharge in prayer.
He set an amazing example for us.
It is somehow easier for us to be busy and tend to other’s needs instead of our own.
However, Jesus made a point to find some alone time and pray.
He found His strength in communing with God Almighty.
Our strength comes from the Lord as well.
Today I choose to take the time to get quiet and sit in the presence of the Lord, so He can refresh my soul.
May you find some time to worship, pray, and be lifted into the Lord’s presence, so He can fill your spirit with His joy and love.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me I need to take time and recharge my spirit. Thank You for showing me I need to spend time in Your presence when I feel empty and dry. After giving and serving others, I need to spend time with You. You are the well of Living Water that never runs dry. You lead me to green pastures to sit and breathe in Your beauty. You restore my soul. Thank You for Your Word which teaches me about You and Your merciful ways. Help me be merciful to myself. Help me get quiet and allow You to fill my spirit with Yours. Help me receive Your mercy. Help me receive Your love. And help me offer both to others. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the God of restoration, mercy, and grace, so come to Me and you will find rest.
Response. Help me sit with You and be refreshed, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.