Burning Out

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances." - Bruce Barton

You know, Samson saved Israel almost single-handedly from the Philistines. (The story is found in Judges 13-16.) But while he was supernaturally empowered in battle, he still found it necessary to call on the Lord to renew his strength. Does that strike you as odd?

Life's battles drain our physical and spiritual vigor. As we empty ourselves in service for the Lord we must call on Him and be renewed. This is biblical, folks. Check it out in Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 26:41 or Philippians 4:19, to name a few. That renewal, or replenishment of our spiritual strength and vigor, is found in God's unlimited reservoirs of faith --- which of course we tap into through the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says in Ephesians 5:18 "... be filled with the Spirit." From what I understand, the original Greek word for filled means to cram or make full. It means to be abundant and overflowing. So the word really describes a continual and ongoing experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. You can't just go get it once. You have to continually be getting it.

So I get this. I get that I get drained. Life just drains the life out of me. I bet you have experienced this too. Even the things I enjoy and get jazzed about can still be draining. For some reason, no matter how much we enjoy something, the joy and be zapped by the problems that life will keep handing us.

Samson had to call on God to take care of his needs during and after the battles he fought. Judges makes it clear that Samson's strength always resulted when "the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power" (Judges 15:14). So it would seem that I must constantly remain under control of the Holy Spirit and live renewed in Him.

"Oh Lord, fill me with your spirit today. May 'the Spirit of the Lord' come upon me in power!"