Fatigue and Refreshment

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.’” Numbers 11:16-17 (ESV)

When you love and care for people, you will experience fatigue. Life has a way of draining your energy and depleting your emotional reserves. Relationships can be refreshing and wonderful, yet some can be taxing and demanding. You can become weary to the point of total exhaustion.

Moses hit a low point after caring for nearly two million Israelites. The journey of wandering in the wilderness had taken its toll. The Israelites were irritable and ungrateful for all that God had done and wanted to go back to Egypt. Moses felt the weight of their complaints. His emotional reserves were empty.

God responded to the desperation Moses was experiencing by providing some much needed help. Moses could not bear this burden alone. God instructed Moses to bring a select group of Israel’s elders to the Tent of Meeting. God put His Spirit on them and empowered them to help Moses carry the burden of the people.

Are you overwhelmed by life? Have you experienced compassion fatigue? Perhaps your load has exceeded your limit and you have no margin in your life. Ask God to bring some godly people into your life to help you carry the load. Ask God to show you what you need to stop doing, what you need to continue doing, and what you need to start doing.

Drawing Near,

Stephen Trammell
Lead Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell