Empty

I have a confession to make.  I do not like going to the gas station.  I honestly wish that my car would magically fill itself up with gas.  Unfortunately that doesn't happen and because of this I drive around on 'E' quite often.  Now I can usually gauge how many miles I can go once the red light comes on but on one occasion I didn't guess right and so when I was less than two or three blocks away from the service station, I found myself on 'Empty'.  Why was I on empty that day?  Because I had run around all over town taking care of things for myself and for my family. I had my own personal agenda and stopping for gas, even though I knew it was necessary, would get me off schedule. I just kept telling myself I'll make it.  Each time I passed a service station I just kept driving.   I am sure many of you reading this have found yourself in a similar situation.  Maybe you didn't actually run out of gas in your automobile but you have found yourself drained mentally and spiritually. And you may have even told yourself that you'll fill up soon enough.  The problem arises when that time never comes and before you know it you find yourself overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed about things that at the end of the day are beyond your control. So what do you do when you find yourself on empty?

The Word of God is one place I turn when you find yourself on empty.  One particular place I like to go is the book of Psalms.  Many times throughout the book you find the Psalmist in a very similar situation, depressed, despondent, pretty much on empty.  Psalm 42 shows David, a man after God's own heart, was depressed.  His mind was full of doubts and fears yet he longed to be in the presence of God.  To David this was the only solution. He had learned the secret.  He found hope in God.  Life's experiences had taught him the value of true communion with God.  It didn't matter what was going on around Him; there was a peace and a joy in being in the presence of God, so much so that it was not an option but a necessity. 'As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God'. Ps. 42:1  As the human being needs water for survival, so does the child of God need to dwell in His presence.  In fact you should 'seek after' or 'pursue' the presence of God daily. 

Now there is one important thing that I must point out.  Being in the presence of the Lord has nothing to do with how you  are feeling. It has nothing to do with whether you are in the valley or on the mountaintop.  It's simply where you should want to be because you realize who God is.  To 'dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty'. (Ps. 91:1)  In that place where you find protection from ever-present dangers, seen and unseen.  It doesn't matter about the supervisor or coworker who is out to get you, God protects you.  It doesn't matter about that person who wants to continue to use your past against you, God protects you and continues to elevate you to a place where they can't touch you.  It doesn't matter about the negativity in your own mind, the pressure that you put on yourself, that need to be perfect in all things...because as a dear friend said to me on yesterday, striving to be a perfectionist doesn't allow God to stand up in you.  You get to the place in your spirit when you realize that God is your 'All and All'.  He is EVERYTHING that you need Him to be and then some.  There is nothing that He cannot do for you and in fact, He is the only One who you never have to wonder about His motives.  So, you praise Him in the good times and the bad.  You learn that He is not just a Sunday morning God but He is a God in the midnight hour when you cry 'out to Him,  at two or three o'clock in the morning when you can't sleep, when all hell is breaking loose on your job, when you are wondering if it's all worth it.  When you are driving to work in the morning or if you are stranded on the side of the road on empty, cars passing you by and you throw your hands up in frustration, God is still God.  And yes, He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever ask or think, but that's not what this is about.  This is about praising Him even if the situation doesn't change.  Accepting His will for your life above your own desires.  You no longer have a personal agenda.  Your agenda is to do the will of God.  It's that simple.  There is no other place to go when you are on empty but to the presence of God.  In His presence there is fullness of joy.  There is protection. There is peace.  There is liberty in the presence of God.  In His presence you will find rest. You will find yourself going from empty to full.

Most Graciou Heavenly Father,

O how I long to be in Your presence, to experience all that You have planned for my life.  I submit myself to Your will and the plan You have for my life.  My prayer is for my trials to strengthen me and not to weaken me.  To realize the joy and benefit in serving the one, true God.  Forgive me for the times when I have tried to do things in my own strength.  I don't want to do this on my own.  I need Your strength and power to sustain me.  Feel me up Lord.  I know that in Your presence there is fullness of joy.  I praise You today for who You are, and for all that I know You are able to do. But today Lord I say that if you choose to leave me right where I am, that's alright because I just want to be where You are.  To remain in Your presence.  In Jesus' precious name I pray Amen.