Victory - Day Thirty: Rest is Essential for Victory

But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.

He will be victorious.

Psa. 110:7, NLT

Apparently I think I’m some kind of superhero that can work every minute of the day and flawlessly accomplish super human feats. Then reality comes crashing down and it’s all too apparent how limited my powers are. Do I really think that highly of myself? No. It’s what happens when I ignore God’s command and Jesus’ example to take time out for refreshment.

Jesus was both fully God and fully human, so He got tired just like we do. Notice throughout the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, that He regularly, purposefully took time out to refresh His body and spirit.

 

Since He was able to quote scripture fluently, Jesus obviously spent time reading and memorizing it. He also got away to fellowship with friends – the twelve disciples, the “inner three” Peter, James, and John. Plus He spent time with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He also got away by himself to be with His Father, to pray and be encouraged. And He took time to eat and sleep to nourish and strengthen His body.

Eight days after announcing to His disciples that He would suffer death and be raised again, Jesus took the inner three on a mountain to pray. There God sent His buddies Moses and Elijah and they talked about all that was to come. It must have been nice to talk with His Father and these ancient believers who had true understanding of the divine plan (Luke 9).

How else could Jesus have had the strength and will to face the worst suffering ever known to man? It wasn’t just physical and emotional suffering He endured either, but the spiritual agony of bearing the sin of all mankind from beginning to end. And at that crucial point of betrayal and death, His own Father would have to turn away from the sin heaped on His only beloved Son.

Yet Jesus was victorious because, as Psalm 110 prophesied, He made time for refreshment along the way. How can we follow His example?    

·         Get away with God – to talk, to listen, to soak up His presence

*     Go to church regularly to worship with other believers

·         Spend time with close friends enjoying fellowship

·         Read the Bible to feed your heart and mind, encourage yourself, and share with others

What else refreshes you for times of intense temptation, sacrifice, and giving for the sake of others? Do you see a difference in the amount of victory you enjoy when you refresh yourself compared to when you don’t?