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We all get tired, sick and frustrated. This time of year with the cold and flu going around it seems that more and more of us are tired, sick and frustrated then any time before. If we put these issues on top of our normal stresses of family, job, finances, relationships, commitments, and hobbies we get a toxic mix of personalities and life issues.

Many times these issues and problems come from a combination of physical and emotional strains. We typically get sick because our immune systems are already weakened due to lack of rest, lack of personal hygiene, or lingering illnesses. We miss sleep, and are tired - thus weakening our immunity, due to all our commitments, our relationships, and the lifestyle decisions we have made. We are stressed by our job, our money, our families / friends, our churches, our commute, and numerous other things that add to the pressure cooker that is building in our bodies. In the end, all of these issues/problems have be eliminated in some form. We either find a way to release them in a healthy / positive fashion, or they come out in the forms of sickness, emotionalism, outbursts, and negative reactions.

All of this thought about sickness, fatigue, stress and frustration lead us to start thinking about Jesus and how He offers us regeneration and renewal. Now Jesus never promises His followers a easy life, in fact He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. That means going where He would go, doing what He would do, and living how He would live. He was shunned, rejected and eventually crucified for His beliefs, what makes us think it will be different for us. However, along with these struggles and this suffering comes something else. What comes with our struggles for/with Christ is blessing from and the protection of God. God promises us that we will never suffer more then we can withstand, if we stay with Him. Jesus promises all that follow Him that they will drink from the source of the living water, the water that refreshes, and the water that renews.

John 4:13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

God’s love, kindness, guidance, wisdom, and strength is promised to us. God purpose for these things are to carries us through the dry and trying times of the world. Many times in these times of dryness, God will send us a mercy drop of His love to keep us refreshed in the deserts of life. These are little signs of His blessing, small signs of His protection and love. From these we can be encouraged to continue the fight, and we can find the strength to go on living, struggling for God.

At other times God will send the flood waters of His blessings to completely sweep us away from our dry and barren life to a place of refreshing, renewal and abundance. In these times God’s love and protection are so apparent that we can not help but to scream out His praises and honors. Usually these are the moments that will fundamentally change a person and their relationship with God forever. We can not come into such close proximity to the creator of the universe and not be fundamentally changed forever.

Regardless of our current state of blessing, the key to a successful walk with God is to remain in a place where we are seeking His wisdom and guidance/direction. Many times we will seek God and cry out for His blessings when our lives and days seem dry and barren. Unfortunately, many times when times are good and we are satisfied we will pull away from God and begin to act with less direction and guidance from God. This pulling away in times of abundance, may even lead us to reach a point where we are acting entirely on our own. These are the times that usually result in very dangerous actions on our part, which may even lead to the our own destruction - both spiritually and physically.

The Bible counsels us to remain close to God and learn from Him constantly. Carefully read the following verses and see what God’s plan for living is.

Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

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1 Timothy 1:18 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

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1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man (woman) of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

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2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Notice that throughout these scriptures, the importance of our relationship with God being continual and ongoing is stressed. The act of salvation is instantaneous, the act of renewal and regeneration is continual. At times when you are tired, frustrated, stressed, torn, battered, suffering and feeling isolated remember that the love of God is continual and constant. God did not save you to abandon or forget you. He is constantly about the work of directing, teaching, blessing and renewing His people. These are but a few of the daily merciful acts of God, but they are the ones that we notice the most as they are the ones that are directly evident in our lives. Notice as well that there is a constant call to live for God, not for self, not for others, not for earthly glory, not of rewards, but for the simple fact that God saved you by grace. Day regardless of your condition or state, seek God and His way and allow His love to renew and refresh you where you are strengthened and encouraged to continue living for Him daily.