Monday, March 11, 2024

We all have long days—times we can’t wait to crawl into bed and curl up under several layers of blankets. Whether it’s from a long workout, taking care of multiple energetic kids, being around new people all day (you can probably tell I am an introvert), or feeling like nothing you do is good enough, exhaustion comes in many forms. 

The book of Mark tells us about a woman who had been sick for twelve years, suffering from a bleeding disorder. All her money had gone toward doctors and medicine, but nothing worked. She continued to worsen. 

This woman must have been exhausted. Her sickness would have turned everyday activities into challenges. Something as simple as going up the stairs would have required a break. She would have been emotionally and spiritually exhausted, too. According to Jewish Law, this sickness made the woman unclean. She couldn’t be around people she loved or even enter the Temple to pray without spreading her “uncleanness.” 

This woman had one last hope. She had heard about Jesus and all he was able to do. So, as he walked through the crowd, the woman reached out and touched Jesus’ robe. 

Mark 5:29
Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

As she touched Jesus, she could feel his peace and perfection wash over her, fill her, and fix her. After years of pain, worry, and exhaustion, that feeling must have been overwhelming and refreshing. 

Mark 6:33-34
³³ Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Jesus ended the woman’s suffering. I can almost imagine him absorbing it, pulling it all out of her, freeing her from all the exhaustion weighing her down. 

We can’t handle our exhaustion on our own. This world is too much for us to carry. But Jesus offers us peace. He gives us rest. And someday, our suffering will be over for good. 

Questions:
What makes you exhausted? Where can you take a rest this week? Do you know anyone suffering? Have you offered to help, even if it is as simple as praying for them? 

Next Steps:
Find a way to give Jesus your burdens. Burn them, pin them to a cross, or discuss them in your Group. Take time to rest a little bit, even if it’s just for five minutes. Do something fulfilling—take a nap, listen to worship music, read a good book, go on a walk—anything that will remind you of Jesus’ peace.   

Prayer:
Father, I am overwhelmed and exhausted. There are problems I can’t fix, struggles I can’t overcome, suffering that doesn’t end. I experience it in my life and see it in the lives of those around me. It breaks my heart, and I know it breaks your heart too. Thank you for promising an end to all suffering. As I wait, give me peace and help me rest. Teach me to trust you in the places where I don’t have what it takes. Amen. 

This post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.