Ever have one of those days where you’re physically drained and just don’t feel up to doing all the things? Well that’s me today. My get up and go left me. Haha. The extent of my activity today has been packing my husband’s lunch and making his coffee before work. I’ve taken care of the dog and cat and managed to warm up leftovers for my lunch. That’s it. Very productive huh? I still have a gazillion things to do but will they all get done today? No and that’s totally fine.
In my Bible reading at the end of 1 Samuel, I was reminded that there are times we get too weak and it’s ok not to fight the daily battle. Sometimes we need to just sit down. I don’t need to beat myself for not having that load of laundry done or just putting the dishes in the sink. There are no rules to when things have to be done. My house is a place where my husband and I have refuge from the chaos of the world. It’s a place of rest from the daily battles. It’s where we sit and encourage ourselves in the Lord.
In 1 Samuel 30, we read of the account where the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag. They burned the city and had taken the wives, children and the spoil of the city. When David returned with his army of men to find this devastation, they all wept until they were physically drained. They thought of stoning David their leader. They were speaking out of grief. BUT the Bible tells us that…
….But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
1 Samuel 20:6c
David had to remember where His strength came from. He reminded Himself that the same God who helped him slay the bear, the lion and the giant is the same God who would help him overcome the Amalekites to get the women, children and the things that belonged to his men back.
The men had just come back from battle to only find their safe place (wife and home) destroyed. Some became faint of heart. They had no strength to rise up and go fight again. Did David scold them? No, the Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 30:21 that “And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.” David cared about the men’s physical being as well as their spiritual. He knew they needed that rest by the brook. When David returned “he saluted them”, he asked about them, made sure they were ok and then David showed mercy and returned their families back to them.
Those men needed a day to not fight the battle. Physically they couldn’t do what they needed to for their families. God didn’t condemn them, God strengthened them and gave them the refreshing at the brook they needed.
Sometimes ladies, it’s ok to not do all the things. Take a break, rest, recover strength. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Read your Bible, grab a book, or enjoy the silence. Tomorrow you can be superwoman and have everything spotless and running on schedule. But today, sit by the brook, drink as many cups of coffee or tea as needed because truly it’s ok to sit for a minute.
