Fill-Up Your Spiritual Tank

Fill Up Your Spiritual Tank ~ Episode 266

What happens when the well runs dry? We all need to fill up our spiritual tanks; for some, that means more often than others. In this podcast, we will delve into ways to receive abundant joy from the simple pleasures God has in store for us!

Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath.com – please visit the website; you will be pleased you did.

Are you burdened? Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel that if you are asked to do one more thing, you will… (Fill in the blank.)

None of us on this side of heaven escape from feeling overwhelmed, and if you care for a family and an elderly family member or are involved in work or volunteer, you know what I mean. When was the last time you laughed for the sake of laughing or spent time with a family member or a friend and walked away feeling freer and happier? For some, it has been a while, maybe a long while.

By its very nature, Christianity is joyous, and we forget this fact as we navigate the busyness of our daily lives. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and we need to remember this verse; Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Can you allow the Lord to be your strength and fill you up? What do you have to lose? Let’s see…

1. You can lose the idea that you are alone.
2. You can lose the idea that no one cares.
3. You can lose the idea that life is insurmountable.

Of course, we are sometimes alone, feel like no one cares, and have problems that never seem to end. Yet, allowing God to fill your spiritual tank is one way. God created us for Him and Him alone; when we feel down, it is often our own doing. We’ve decided we can do it alone; we are capable; after all, God gave us intellect, ability, and the will to accomplish many things. Yet, all of the success in the world (or lack of success) will not leave us happy or fulfilled. Only God can give us the fulfillment we crave.

In the Old Testament, we read about the Exodus and the journey of Moses and the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the desert to the promised land. Yet, two of the multitude of people crossed into the promised land. It was the descendants of this race; even Moses never made it. Why? In a nutshell, it was the lack of obedience and trust in the Lord.

God punished them, and rightly so. He said that the reason they would not enter the promised land, the land flowing with “milk and honey,” was in direct relation to their hardness of heart, their disobedience. Can we see that in our own lives?

Think about it. These people were saved from slavery only to complain and rely on their understanding rather than trusting that Moses, the messenger of God, was telling the truth. They wanted what they wanted. This was not only worship of false Gods but their memory of the life they had. They complained about being free from Egypt.

We read this, and it appears that the punishment from the Lord was harsh, but was it?

Have you felt punished in your life? Maybe you’ve prayed for something and don’t feel the prayer has been answered.  Join the club!

It has taken me many years to realize that I must first trust in God, that He knows what is best, and that I must thank God for all of the blessings, those I see and those I do not see.

We should remember the verses like Romans 5:1-5 … it is a verse of hope and faith – a great way to fill our spiritual tank!

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Filling up our spiritual tank can be done in so many ways.

1. Listening to the Word of God by reading the Bible.
2. Appreciating the blessings God has given you – write them down. (Praise Journal)
3. Going to church, attending daily Mass if at all possible.
4. Read about the saints, the lives of holy men and women of God who overcame great obstacles.
5. Listening to praise and worship music and allowing the words to penetrate your heart.
6. Sitting with the Lord and just listening. Even if you hear nothing, the Lord is with you. One of the prayers I learned early on is this prayer – Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
   O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
7. Surrounding yourself with like-minded friends. I volunteer and serve on the Magnificat Ministry – a ministry for women, and we celebrate prayer breakfasts at least four times a year. This is an uplifting event to join in with other women to praise and worship the Lord and hear testimony from someone whose life has been transformed by God.
8. Praying. Offer your day to the Lord in the morning and the evening. Ask the Lord to fill you with every good thing.
9. Avoid anything negative or anti-Christian.
10. Turn off social media and the television.

I’ve noticed that the times I need filling up are when I’ve let my eyes stray from the Lord and my mission, which is to love and serve the Lord and others he has placed in my care.

We can become discontent when we think other people are doing so much better than they are, and maybe they are; rejoice and be glad because we are already heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Friends, let’s pray for each other that we are filled to overflowing by the grace of God, and that is your challenge this week; pray for an infilling of God’s love, peace, and joy. Fill your spiritual tank to overflowing, and I will pray this for you this week.

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