GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BURN OUT

International Bible Baptist Church

Media

GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BURN OUT

Day 273

September 30, 2024

Give

Mark 6:31

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Jesus’ admonition here prompted some wise guy to quip, “Jesus is saying here that if we don’t come apart and rest, we’ll eventually just come apart!”

That’s the idea! There’s a work-rest, work-rest rhythm built by God into the very fabric of life (see Genesis 2:1-3). When we violate this natural order of things by excessive work or ministry involvement, we soon burn out. No wonder Jesus deliberately scheduled retreats for himself and his disciples—intentional trips into quiet or remote places.

What about you? How long has it been since you really rested? God promises to give you rest, and if you’re seriously empty inside, he may even want you to take some extended time off.

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME:

• If you will pull away from your busy schedule, I will give you the rest you need.

MY PRAYER TO GOD:

Lord, I often feel drained physically, emotionally and spiritually. Give me the wisdom to recognize the warning signs of burnout. I can’t be effective for you if I am running on empty. I want the rest that you offer. Amen.

GOD ADOPTS YOU

October 3, 2024 • Galatians 4:4–5

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Most people in the world would agree with the statement that “We are all God’s children.” It’s a nice sentiment. It just isn’t what the Bible teaches. According to God’s Word, unrepentant sinners are actually God’s enemies (see Romans 5:10 and Colossians 1:21). It’s only when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that we experience forgiveness and adoption into God’s forever family (see Ephesians 1:5). For a Christian going through hard times this “adoption” truth is the best of all possible news. God is not just a powerful Creator or a righteous Lord, he is a loving Father. He sees your trials. He listens to your pleas. He cares and protects and supports. He is never harsh or impatient with you. He is never “too busy” for you. Take all the best qualities of all the best earthly dads you’ve ever known, add them together and multiply by infinity. That’s the kind of father God is. GOD’S PROMISE TO ME: • You are my child if you accept the salvation I offer. MY PRAYER TO GOD: Jesus, I do believe in you. I have accepted you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for revealing yourself to me. Thank you for saving me. Because of your grace and my faith I am a child of the living God. Amen.

GOD SATISFIES THE LONGING SOUL

October 2, 2024 • Psalm 63:1

October 2 GOD SATISFIES THE LONGING SOUL Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; Sometimes it hits like a lightning bolt. At other times it comes gradually—like waking up from a deep slumber. “It” is the sense that our lives are out of balance. We see ourselves as we truly are—frantic people, rushing through our days, trying so feverishly to have it all and do it all. We realize that all we have to show for our busyness is frustration and exhaustion. We experience feelings of regret, because we see (once again!) that whenever we choose a life jammed with nonstop activity, we are also choosing to shut the door on life’s greatest treasures—intimacy with God and deep relationships with the people in our lives. David made seeking God a high priority, especially when he felt threatened by enemies. Time with God was just the restorative medicine he needed, and it enabled him to live life without regrets. If we make time with God a priority, we can experience joy, rather than regret. He satisfies those who long for him. GOD’S PROMISE TO ME: • I will satisfy the longings of those who seek me. MY PRAYER TO GOD: O God, sometimes I don’t truly know what I long for. I scramble around, searching in vain. Help me to long for you like I long for water or air. Amen.

GOD WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD AND ALL ITS TROUBLES

October 1, 2024 • Revelation 21:10–11

October 1 GOD WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD AND ALL ITS TROUBLES Revelation 21:10-11 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; In the first century, while exiled on the barren island of Patmos, the apostle John was given this vivid glimpse of eternity. Some call passages like this one a myth or fantasy. But the children of God know this snapshot of the future is anything but wishful thinking. Our heavenly Father reigns. History, as the old saying goes, is “His story.” The day is surely coming when the curtain will fall on this sin-scarred world. Finally and forever we will see an end to sorrows, death, crying and pain. In the midst of our tough times, we need to remember what the future holds—not uncertainty and fear, but the reassuring promise of a brand-new existence void of bad things and filled with God. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). GOD’S PROMISE TO ME • I will bring an end to this old world and its troubles. • I am preparing a heavenly home where we will live together forever. MY PRAYER TO GOD: I praise you, God, for your perfect ways, your perfect plan and for the glorious future that awaits. Amen.