Through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we've received new life and eternal salvation. True rest and refreshment are received from Christ Jesus.
When our cell phone batteries get run down, we have to recharge them. We attach the adapter, plug it into a wall socket, and wait for the battery to recharge. Almost everyone alive today knows how to recharge a cell phone. But, we can't recharge a cell phone battery from just any power source. We can't put our phone on a car battery and expect it to be recharged. Put the cell phone under direct sunlight and it won't power up the battery. If we saw someone try to recharge their phone by one of these means, we'd laugh at them. We'd question their intelligence.
Every day, we see people under stress. They're in conflict, run-down, and stressed out. We all know someone who's in desperate need of a moment or an hour or a day to recharge their mental and emotional batteries. But, they try to recharge by plugging into worthless treasures and empty pleasures. They believe that if they get that raise, move into that new house, find their soul-mate, or just get a good night's sleep, they'll be refreshed. If they can refresh their bank account, or expand the square footage of their house, or meet the right someone, not only will their mind and heart be recharged, their soul will be at peace too.
The sugar-coated lie we're fed from the cradle to the grave is that the more treasures and pleasures we can get for ourselves, the less stress and conflict we'll have in our lives. But, daily stress and conflict don't cry out for life's treasures and pleasures. We need a real recharge. Something that refreshes us and doesn't leave us asking for more. We need a living God. We need a God who hears our cries and answers us. That's why the Psalmist writes that "My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God... Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!" (Psalm 84:2,4)
It's only in God's house, hearing God's Word, that we're truly refreshed. He is the source of our strength and life. While the treasures and pleasures of this world may appear as excellent ways to recharge and destress, they're about as useful as putting our cell phone on a car battery. It's only God's Word that assures us that we belong in God's house, not because we deserve it or have earned it, but because Jesus earned it for us by His suffering and death.
Through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we've received new life and eternal salvation. True rest and refreshment are received from Christ Jesus. That's why we go into God's house week after week. We come to hear His Word for us. The light of His Word and the peace it gives us recharge our mind, body, and soul. More than that, God's Word reinvigorates us with strength, hope, joy, and the knowledge that Jesus has won the victory over death and hell for us.
So, blessed are all us who hear the Word of the Lord and listen to Him. We're blessed to go into God's house than go home in the peace and joy of the Lord Jesus Christ. We've been recharged by God's Word and the assurance that the Father's love for us will never be exhausted. He will refresh us with His Word. He will give us the peace and joy we need. Jesus Christ will strengthen us in body, mind, and soul today and always.
