Psalm 51:8, Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Psalm 51 has always been a favorite passage of mine. I have been drawn to verse 8 over and over again when I meditate over this passage. I just cannot get it out of my head! Whenever I read it, any burden I feel in my life seems to be lifted. When I feel overwhelmed, I turn to this verse and say, “Lord, I feel very tired and broken as of late. With everything going on in my life, I could really use some joy and gladness!”
We all go through times when we feel as if we are carrying a thousand-pound weight on our backs. In these times, we often feel as if we are never going to be able to get out from under it! However, when we stop and think about all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon our lives—family, friends, a good church, life, breath—and make ourselves remember all of the joyous and happy times, we soon feel life creep back into our weary bones!
I think about how tiring and how hard the work is to visit every Saturday for four to five hours and invite many people to come on our buses and vans for a big day. I have often felt as if I could not take another step. However, it was all worth it when we were able to see eighty-five people come to our church for the first time and over half of them accept the Lord as their Saviour! What a joy it was to see them all! Oh, the Devil tried to discourage us by making the bus driver quit her job on that very morning that she was supposed to drive for us. (If the Devil would have been standing right in front of me, I would have given him a good swift kick!) Delayed an extra thirty minutes while the bus company located another driver, we finally left for the church. I was exhausted as I drove from apartment complex to apartment complex with my daughter and another teenage girl. We picked up the people and brought them to our waiting mini-bus, because that was all the transportation we had available at the time. What a battle it was, but what a joy to see all of the people in the church! The Devil did not defeat us!
As we can see, it does not matter how tired we get as we serve the Lord. We need to always remember what a joy and a privilege it is to serve God! As we begin to remember those times with all of the joy and happiness we have experienced from serving God, we will rejoice even though our bones may be worn out!
Is there something that has you exhausted and tired? Do you feel as if you cannot go another step further in God’s work? Stop and ask God to make you hear and remember the joy and gladness that comes from serving Him. Do not let yourself get so bogged down with how tired you get while serving the Lord. Remember the joy it brings! You will find renewed energy in Him!
by April Hernandez
