Reluctant Retiree

Our souls constantly search for that which satisfies. We seek wealth, thinking money will satisfy our inner cravings. But riches become meaningless over time and only drive us to seek more. So we pursue fame, but fame comes and goes leaving us frustrated. Then we invest our souls in relationships, but people always disappoint. Still searching, we put our efforts into our works, thinking that meaningful work will surely satisfy our souls. This pursuit only distracts us from finding true fulfillment.

John 7:37-38 says, “Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”” Jesus is the living water that satisfies our souls. In Him we find that which fulfills our desires perpetually and eternally. His supply of this living water is infinite and everlasting.

Why not tap into this living water today? As Jesus said, we only need to believe in Him to receive the living water. Trust in Jesus to satisfy your soul. Give Him your life.

We are in Atlanta with family this week. Visiting a new city, especially a large city like Atlanta, can be both exciting and frustrating. The thrill of seeing and experiencing new things is partially offset by the uncomfortable feeling of change. Trying to navigate in a big city can be daunting. You may think that you know how to get somewhere, but the new roads and sites can be misleading. So, sometimes your plans must change, no matter how carefully you prepared.

We can experience the same frustration of plans going awry in life. We say to ourselves that if I just do so and so, then I will be able to do this. But unexpected situations and interruptions occur, forcing us to make adjustments and course corrections. We can’t anticipate every possibility, so we must recognize that our plans are tentative, no matter how well intentioned they may be.

James 4:15 says, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”‘ Making plans is prudent and right. But if our plans are not first submitted to God, they are both foolish and arrogant. He has authority and power to change any of our plans.

Years ago I was trekking in the mountains when it began to rain heavily. We immediately turned back, but we had miles to go. At one point the trail ended at a muddy road. It was slippery, so I jumped down to the road. Unfortunately I sunk into the mud up to my knees. I needed someone to help pull me out of the mud. I can look back at it now in amusement, but at the time it was serious.

In life we often find ourselves knee deep in some mess. It could be of our own making, inflicted by others, or just the combination of events. In any case, it seems like we are stuck or at least bogged down. We need someone to provide us the strength and/or wisdom to pull us out of our messy situation.

Psalm 25:15 gives us God’s promise when it says, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.” When we are stuck in our messy situation, we can look to the Lord and He will pull us up through the mire. We may still have some mud on us, but we will be free to move forward.

Jesus often said,”The Kingdom of God is at hand.” We don’t live under a monarchy, so we have trouble understanding His words. Generally in a kingdom, the king issues commands to his servants and to the general population. Besides expecting complete obedience to his commands, the king rewards servants and his subjects for faithfully performing duties in a manner that benefits the kingdom. Faithful servants may even be granted more responsibility or higher positions in the kingdom.

The Kingdom of God refers to God’s rule over our hearts. If we faithfully serve our King, God, then we honor Him. As we follow Him in a way that benefits and expands His Kingdom, we will receive blessings from the King.

In Matthew 25:23 Jesus said, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'” Jesus made this comment at the conclusion of His story about a faithful servant. He is promising God’s blessings to those who faithfully follow Him and benefit His Kingdom. Let’s choose today to faithfully follow and serve the King of kings.

I have taken several treks in the Himalayan Mountains. On these treks we always saw porters carrying large quantities of supplies. They would put the supplies in large baskets called dokos and strap them to their heads. They carried huge loads up and down the trails. Without the porters, mountain villages wouldn’t have access to the supplies they needed or be able to sell their goods in other communities. On some of our treks we hired porters to carry our backpacks. Hiking through the mountains was all we could manage, while the porters did the same hike carrying three or four backpacks.

God sees the burdens we carry through life and He understands. He is eager to help us carry these problems, troubles, and struggles. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Our souls become weary with the burdens we try to carry by ourselves. Jesus offers to help carry our burdens. He only asks that we come to Him and hook ourselves up to His yoke. By hooking into His love and strength, our burden becomes light and our souls find much needed rest. In this position we also learn how to live and stay on the right path.