Rejoicing While Weary

I admit that I listen to Christmas music throughout the year when I need a pick-me-up. These songs that point to Jesus with joy and adoration just do my heart good on hard days. 

And this season seems hard. Not just a day. I’m weary. I would say that we all have times of weariness from the challenges and routines of life. But we are almost to 2022, and 2020’s mess is still here. Weariness abounds even in the midst of the most wonderful time of the year.  

A weary world rejoices. A weary Mindy rejoices. Proclaim this with your name in it. No matter what is dragging our energy down, we can rejoice. 

Fall on your knees. Hear the angel voices. Worship and awe. Jesus restores our joy and refreshes our soul when we focus on the love that came to rescue us. 

 As the weary psalmist wrote,

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭42:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Hope and praise. Jesus came to rescue us from sin and death. We have the hope of living forever in heaven with the light of the world! No more tears. No more pain. Just joy in his presence. My weariness just has to flee when exposed to the sonshine!

Let’s wrap up whatever is making us weary tonight. Set it beside the manger as we kneel in worship. We leave it there as we close our time with the Lord, living with the thrill of hope saturating our hearts. 

Distractions

My daughter left for school this morning while the sky was starting to show off. A hint of pink was popping out in the easing darkness. I had my coffee and was talking to God,  but I kept getting distracted by the beauty in the sky that he created.

And then the cat puked next to my coffee. Distraction. I then scrolled through my Facebook feed, and my heart was troubled. One state is protecting the rights of unborn babies while another state has zero. Parents are murdering their young children for a myriad of grotesque, selfish reasons. My heart is raw as post after post highlighted a painful, broken people.

I cried out for forgiveness because although I am sad and angry, I move on. How can I move on and not grieve for these children? How can I attack my get-to list when the world is so savagely depraved?

Forgive me, Jesus. I am thankful that God sees Jesus’ righteousness instead of my sinfulness. The magnitude of this gift often escapes me as I take his holiness for granted.

Psalm 51 is today’s scripture. Bring this prayer of repentance to life with a strong voice and contrite heart. Let the Lord cleanse us from all righteousness so that we may teach his ways and bring others into his saving

Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right[b] spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Isn’t it just beautiful that God has his ultimate purpose in everything? We are already saved, and repentance aligns our hearts with his. At this point we can do the work of sharing the gospel as joyous, spirit-filled people even in the darkness swirling around us. Amen.