Encouragement for Today

November 15, 2024 It’s OK if You Feel Tired Today HOLLEY GERTH Lee en español

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Are you feeling tired today? Me too. And we’re not the only ones who have ever felt that way.

Jesus started His earthly ministry with a miracle at a wedding. He spoke powerfully and gained disciples. He had a now-well-known conversation with Nicodemus. Then He left town, and “Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well” (John 4:6, NLT).

If you’re tired and need to sit wearily, it isn’t a failure, weakness, or proof that you can’t keep up. You’re simply following the example of a Savior who knows what it’s like to be human.

It was at the well in John 4 that Jesus met a Samaritan woman, and they had a conversation that was transformational for her and many others. Jesus was living out His purpose even when He was tired and weary.

Rest didn’t pause God’s plan for Jesus’ life. Instead, it opened up a different kind of opportunity.

It’s easy to believe God can only use us when we’re at our best, strongest and fastest. But God’s purposes don’t require a certain level of energy or a pace we must maintain. He can work in our slowest and swiftest moments, in the times when we’re moving forward and when we can’t take one more step. Jesus made a Kingdom impact when He turned water into wine at a wedding and when He sat down wearily by a well.

You never have to be afraid that you’re letting God down by being human.

Your loving God is compassionate toward your tiredness.
Your faithful God can use even your weakest moments to show His strength.
Your limitless God isn’t held back by your limitations.

When you’re tired, it can feel like the right thing to do is push harder. Spur on your soul like a stubborn horse. Add another shot to your coffee, lengthen your to-do list, and shorten your patience with yourself.

But what if the invitation of Jesus, who described His own heart as gentle and lowly (Matthew 11:29), is to do the opposite?

“… Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

The One who spoke the world into being has no trouble with completing tasks, no concern that you won’t pull your weight. He even carried a cross so your burden would not be heavy but light.

You’re a human being with bones and a soul, nerves and elbows, a heart that beats almost 100,000 times a day. Tiredness will sometimes be your companion. This isn’t a flaw; it’s simply a fact — one you share with all the other billions of people on this planet and with a perfect Savior who once napped on a boat in a storm (Mark 4:38).

You’re tired today.
You’re fully loved.
You’re doing well.

All of these can be true at the same time.

God, I bring my tiredness to You, trusting that You understand and have compassion for my humanness. Be my strength, help and rest. You are the One who sustains me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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If you need a little encouragement each day, you’ll find it in Holley Gerth’s new devotional book, 365 Truths for Every Woman’s Heart. It’s a wonderful Christmas gift for women in your life too!

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 23:1-3a, “The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength” (NLT).

What’s a lie you’ve believed about feeling tired? (Example: I’m letting God down if I'm tired.) What’s a truth that replaces it? (Example: Jesus was perfect and still felt tired sometimes.)

© 2024 by Holley Gerth. All rights reserved.

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