Fall break is upon us and there isn’t a better phrase to describe my (as well as many of my colleagues, I’m certain) excitement than, “I am ready for it.” Whether a student, a teacher, or a parent, we often find ourselves in busy seasons where the only encouragement to get through the day is knowing that a break is coming. Certainly, the weariness and exhaustion caused by our daily activities can sometimes divert attention from the things we are most grateful for as believers. We also tend to forget the innumerable occasions in which God’s grace and love have embraced us amid tribulation, even though these occasions surround us day after day.
There are certain paths in life whose course we cannot control. Inevitably, we will find ourselves vulnerable to responsibilities, both large and small, and we’ll face the choice of ignorance or confrontation. Hopefully, we can gather the will and courage to run to arms of our father and allow Him to overwhelm us with peace that surpasses understanding. There will also be times, however, when our own decisions and circumstances, our exhaustion and weariness, or perhaps our forgetfulness might pull us into the wrong direction and push us away from the blessings that await on the other path. Sad as it may be, our hearts are prone to wander and not one is exempt from the threat of “humanhood.” Yet, in spite all our failed attempts at confronting our own darkness and sin, the Father always has open arms to comfort and to strengthen our debilitated souls.
It is fascinating to me that certain passages in the Bible are prepared specifically for those times in which we may face exhaustion, weariness, etc. The idea of God inspiring an encouraging Psalm to the heart of David as a tranquilizing resource for all humanity is beyond my understanding. And precisely because it is far beyond my understanding, I am willing to exhort all of you, my brothers and sisters, and all the people who have yet to know the love of Jesus Christ, to recognize that God’s strength is beyond our weariness, that God’s power is beyond our exhaustion, that God’s wisdom is beyond our forgetfulness, and that His everlasting love is far beyond our sinfulness.
I pray that anyone who enters this brief week of Fall Break in the midst of pain, loss, anger, exhaustion, weariness, etc., will be able to find peace. Lift your eyes because help comes from He who created the heavens and the earth. Be calm knowing that He watches over us, and that although we might experience first-hand the darkness of this world, He won’t let our foot slip. Be confident knowing that God will keep you from all harm and will watch over your life. Rest, knowing that even when your path turns steep and dark, the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
