Monday - Running on Empty

II Timothy 4:7 – I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

Psalm 61:2 – From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

God asks us to do some things that don't come easily. It's hard to forgive. It's hard to wait on God. It's hard to love…But sometimes the hardest thing is simply to keep going.

You know what God would have you to do. You're trying to be faithful. But you're tired. Maybe you're discouraged. Maybe you feel inadequate. Maybe you're wondering how much longer you can do this.

You haven't quit. You're just struggling to keep going.

I've been there.

I recently had one of those weeks where I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water. I couldn't see a solution. I couldn't figure out how to make it better.

I remember praying, "Lord, this is how I'm feeling. I'm overwhelmed, and there's nothing I can do to change this situation. I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this."

Maybe you've been there before. Maybe you're there right now. You're not ready to quit, but you're running on empty.

Take it to the Rock.

David knew that feeling too. He prayed:

"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." — Psalm 61:2

Notice David didn't pretend he was fine. He told God exactly where he was — at the end of the earth, with an overwhelmed heart. Then he asked God to lead him to something higher than himself.

That's the first step when you're running on empty. Be honest with the Lord. He already knows how tired you are. He's not shocked by it, and He's not disappointed in you for feeling it.

The words of an old warrior.

The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to be worn down. When he wrote 2 Timothy, he was in prison, near the end of his life, waiting to be martyred for the faith. This was his farewell letter.

And from that prison cell he wrote, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

Those aren't the words of a man who had an easy life. They're the words of a seasoned soldier at the end of a long fight. He was tired too. But he kept going.

So if you're running on empty today, don't quit. Tell the Lord how you feel. Ask Him to lead you to the Rock that is higher than you.

Then take the next step. Keep going.