02 Oct The Nurturing Need
I am desperate for the Holy Spirit in my life. I daily feel the tension of the spirit and flesh waging war in my soul. I deeply desire to serve the Lord.
I care deeply for my family and the community around me. I desire to sacrificially serve my family with a joyful heart.. That has been my prayer: to understand my gifts and serve the Lord faithfully. I intentionally pray, read and reflect each week. So why am I exhausted? I try to exercise and rest. I recently changed jobs to reduce my commitment to work outside of the home. But I feel broken and poured out.. My body aches and I just need more energy. Why am I so tired? How can I find restoration?
It hit me this week after a friend shared her struggle with sin:
We cannot wield enough strength within our heart, soul and body to resist our flesh and the destructive force of sin.
My friend and I desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to minister to our hearts and bodies. Just like my friend who is not able to resist the flesh apart from the Holy Spirit, I am not capable within my own flesh to pour out my life to my children, my spouse or my community in a way that genuinely reflects God. I need the nurturing power of the Holy Spirit. I need the Holy Spirit to empower me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
In the Ezer study, we look at the beautiful passage of Mary of Bethany as she encourages and empowers Jesus in John 12:1-8 (NLT):
Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
Jesus Christ, our Savior, became flesh. He took on our sorrows, weaknesses, hunger, and emotions. He felt exhaustion. He felt weary. He is our great High Priest, who fully sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:14-16). He knew the immense task before Him. I can imagine he had not slept well, his joints and muscles ached. He was stressed.
He would offer his body as a living sacrifice for my pride, my self-righteousness, my sin and the sin of humanity.
Mary of Bethany saw Jesus’ exhaustion and sorrow; she saw his need for comfort and nourishment. She boldly approached him and humbly wiped his feet with fragrant perfume with her hair. Her act of love encouraged Jesus and nourished his soul; it may have given him strength to keep moving toward the cross (Matthew 26:10, 12-13 ESV). If Jesus knows my exhaustion, the struggle and tension of my flesh and spirit, and he sent the Holy Spirit to reside in me, doesn’t the Lord desire to nourish my soul and my body in the same way as Mary of Bethany to Jesus?
I’ve found much comfort and restoration in quiet prayer and reflection this week, allowing the Holy Spirit to rush over my thoughts. I’ve prayed for the Holy Spirit to quiet the noise of my schedule, agenda and conversations, and nourish my soul with His presence. Apart from the Holy Spirit I am not able to nurture and empower the people around me. I must daily remember in order for me to live out the mission of empowering others and reflecting the love of Christ, I need the Holy Spirit to nourish my soul. I am not enough. I understand I desperately need the Holy Spirit.
In the sermon this past weekend, Bill White taught from Luke 4:31-44. He specifically mentioned that after ministering to people, Jesus would seek an isolated and quiet place to be with the Father. Bill challenged us with the following question:
“If Jesus, who was without sin, needed to withdraw from human company in order to connect with and receive nourishment from God, how much more so do we?”
What is keeping you from connecting with God? Take some time this week to reflect and ask the Holy Spirit for nourishment.
– Kristin Ellis, Powdersville