“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18 NIV)

I have a dog run. This is a fenced area where the dogs can be outside, anytime they want, to attend to their personal needs. The area is thickly layered with gravel making clean up and disinfecting easy. The gravel however gets depleted, it gets eaten. Not by the dogs, but by the ground itself. Little by little the earth absorbs the gravel back into itself. To keep on top of this problem, I replenish it once or twice yearly.

Likewise, I too, have found that I need replenishing from time to time. My physical, mental and spiritual being becomes depleted by the cares of this world. I get worn thin. My patience is sorely tried. My temper bubbles more easily. What is normally a pleasure, becomes a burden. My spirit is dry, and grumbling can easily replace praise and thanksgiving. I think that perhaps, most of you know exactly what I mean, for as human beings becoming depleted, in various areas of our lives, is indeed a fact of earthly life.

Becoming depleted however, can be kept to a minimum by learning to allow ourselves to be replenished before the situation becomes dire. As Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote advises: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, it is wiser, whenever possible, to stop a problem from happening, then having to deal with its’ consequences.

So today, let’s do just that. If we are beginning to feel tired and worn thin, depleted by whatever struggles we are wrestling with, let us make a point of stopping and doing as the Psalmist did amidst his times of need. Let us cry out to the Lord, who not only hears, but is able to help. He is able to replenish us body, mind and soul as we look to Him amidst our need, for He and He alone knows us inside out. He knows just what we require even before we ourselves do. Perhaps it is rest or food, laughter or friendship, a healing touch, a word of truth, a holiday, financial assistance, a solution to an ongoing problem, strength or courage, whatever it is He knows. Let us therefore be wise. Let us take advantage of His wonderful knowledge and allow Him to guide and direct, to fill us up anew, for an ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You know us inside out. Help us in wisdom, to cry out to You for the replenishment of our body, mind and soul, before our situation becomes dire, that we might glorify You at all times and in all ways. In Christ’s name we ask. Amen.

Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada