Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, my God.”
Mile marker one. Mile marker three. Mile marker five. These are etched in your mind. Why? These are the official water stops for the race you’re training for. You know exactly where they are. For most races you can locate these specific locations online. They’re crucial. You wouldn’t survive without them. They aren’t just randomly placed without thought along the course. They are intentional. Purposeful. Strategically positioned exactly where they need to be. On race day, you breathe a sigh of relief as the first water stop comes into your view. Race volunteers line the road, each one holding out plastic cups of water. Grabbing the cup, you gulp down every last drop. Your thirst is immediately quenched. Feeling refreshed, you continue on with confidence, knowing there’s another water stop up ahead in a few more miles.
You would easily become dehydrated without your water stops. No matter how fast-paced you are, without water stops you would crash and burn. You know about how far you can run before your body needs water. Continue past that point and you start to wear down. Even when you’re training, you plan out when and where you’ll get water. Running around the block, maybe you put a bottle of water by your mailbox as you circle around a familiar path. Running with friends, perhaps you run a certain circuit and return to your cars for a fill-up. Sometimes organized groups set up tables for runners. Whatever the case may be, you strategically plan for water when you need to be refreshed.
Do we have the same urgency on our journey of faith? Do we intentionally plan spiritual water stops to quench the thirst of our weary souls? Refreshment is vital for the long road ahead.
What exactly does a water stop look like on one’s faith journey?
It could be worship services on the weekend. Perhaps it’s a weekly Bible study or an accountability group. Praying regularly with a small group. Meeting a fellow believer for coffee or calling a trusted friend. Each of these is purposeful—giving refreshment when we’re weary. They are like a pit stop on the journey of faith.
But waiting until things fall apart before seeking out these water stops would be like running aimlessly without any thought of where your water is going to come from! Just as the water stops on a race course are strategically positioned, we too as Christ followers must be intentional when it comes to discipleship and staying strong in our faith.
We get weary. Life happens. Sometimes it feels like a drought! We must be purposeful in planning out where we will stop to be renewed, refreshed and refueled!
READY? Can you identify specific water stops in your faith journey? Are you stopping often enough or do you need to add some more to your course? How does having water stops affect the level of peace and hope you have when things get tough? If you don’t have any water stops, pray and ask God to show you who, where and when they might be.
GET SET. 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
GO! Heavenly Father, I praise you for being my ultimate water stop on my path of life. Help me to humbly embrace the water stops you’ve put into my life. Help me reach out to others when I’m feeling weary. Thank you for refreshing my soul with the power of your word. Amen!
Blessings to you!
Lisa Preuett
Lisa Preuett~Rest Stop for the Soul 