Rest for a weary soul

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “What the world needs now”

Our Bible verse for today: “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Rest for a weary soul”

Easter week is about the love of the Father expressed to us through the gift of Jesus. Jesus gave His life for ours to pay the penalty for our sins. Then He rose from the grave defeating death and thereby making it possible for us to have eternal life in heaven. That’s the Good News that we have to share with others. It’s all about God’s great love for us.

But that’s a spiritual truth expressed in spiritual words. People are physical beings living in the physical world. That being the case, people relate most easily to physical realities. That’s why one of the most effective means of reaching people for Jesus is to meet their physical needs first. There is a truism that applies. It goes like this, “They won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” Meet their physical needs first and then they will be much more open to hearing the spiritual truth we have to share.

This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday about the fact that every person you meet today will be struggling with something that they wish was not in their life, and every person needs Jesus to heal their deepest hurts.

I love the picture Jeremiah paints in the verse above – God refreshes the weary and He strengthens the weak. People all around us need this. They are weary and weak, struggling with life issues and living out of hurting hearts. People need what Jesus has to offer.

Ultimately, receiving what Jesus wants to give will have eternal consequences because the person will spend eternity in heaven instead of hell. But first, Jesus will meet them where they are in the physical world. In this case, rest for the weary and strength for the weak. Jeremiah was talking about refreshing the soul and strengthening the resolve as a means of revitalizing the body and giving the person the will and the ability to go on in life with renewed vigor. (Remember our lesson from a previous devotional in this series – we are body, mind, and spirit. All are interrelated and each impacts the other. Refresh the spirit and the body will experience the benefit too.)

This is an important understanding when we’re attempting to reach people for Jesus. We must meet them where they are and minister to them in ways that make an immediate difference. People all around you are weary and burdened deep down in their soul. Life feels heavy and hard. But Jesus will meet them at the deepest point of that need and give them rest for their weary souls.

As you are inviting people to church this Sunday to celebrate Easter, consider telling them about the rest and renewal they will find for their weary souls as they encounter and worship the Risen Savior.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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