Don't Run Out of Fuel!

 

I have to admit that I hated to fill our last car with gas. I mean it cost a lot of money to fill it up! And because it was older and had high miles on it, we were getting poor gas mileage as well. Danny would go to the store in the evenings or run to town for something and come home and say that he’d put gas in the car while he was out.  He was always telling me that it was better for the car and better for me to keep it full and to fill it often.  He’d prompt me that we could have an emergency and there weren’t many stations open in the night in our area, so a quick fill up was harder to achieve.  It wasn’t long ago that I let it get so empty that I sputtered into our regular gas station, embarrassed that I would not make it.  

It’s important to keep our spiritual motor filled up as well.  For some reason folks try to maintain their lives on very little fuel. Filling up on Sunday is great but it’s not enough to keep us going the entire week. We find ourselves sputtering and coughing and having all kinds of problems as we try to coast back into our spiritual filling station on Sunday morning. We have 7 days a week to live, with 24 hours in each day and we try to make it on 1 hour of fuel. 

The engine of our heart begins to have problems. While our fuel levels wane our engine warning lights start coming on: the levels of anger, impatience, worry, fear, confusion and more start rising.  We try to keep making it and don’t even think about filling up. Sometimes we run out of spiritual energy altogether. We’re done in and left on the side of the road, hoping someone will stop and give us a ride for more fuel.

But our God has made a way for us to live keeping our lives filled up. Not only has He made a way for us to fill up on our own every single day, it’s completely free to us. He paid for all the filling we’ll ever need and His stations are open 24/7.  We never have to sputter and rattle and make it on fumes. We can live with our lives on Full all through the week.

God knows how busy your week is. He knows that you don’t even feel like you have time for your weekly fill up. You’ve been running on empty and you feel lousy. Things aren’t working well and you wonder where you can find someone to relieve your stress. There may be things going wrong and you’re just tired and ready to pull off the road and just quit. He’s seen your plight – the sorrow, the burdens, the road hazards and more. But He’s whispering in words of love to stop a moment and fill up early so that you don’t have to go through the embarrassment of spiritual emptiness. He’s paid it and you just have to fill up, free of charge.

 Oh beloved, pull in to God’s filling station, the Word of the Lord and fill up completely! As you keep your life filled up you’ll find you get better mileage, less trouble and more quality of life on the road. God loves you so He’s given you the keys to the Kingdom and the fuel card that never runs out! He speaks to your heart and woos you with love: I AM your filling station, I AM your fuel for living, I AM your 24/7 attendant who will fill your life, check your heart and clean the window of your soul so that you can see clearly to live for Me in the light of My Love.  Without My infilling, you can do nothing, but when You are filled with Me you can travel far distances and handle the hazards along the way. I AM love and I AM for you and I AM all you will ever need.

Isaiah 29:19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Joshua 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 19:7-8 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The commandments of the Lord are right,     bringing joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

You Don't Have to Run on Empty - Fill Up with God's Word.

Last night I went to one of my grandson’s football games. He didn’t play until 7:30, so by the time I left the house it was dark. Another grandson, Blake, went with me. He was excited to get to see Lucas play.  As we traveled through town and out towards the sports complex, I remembered that I had been needing to stop and get gas for a couple of days.  For some reason, I drive right by our favorite station everyday yet often don’t remember or don’t take the time to fill up.  Then I find myself, like last night, with the red needle all the way down.  As we entered the road leading to the football and soccer fields, we wound on through the baseball fields that were well lit and full of activity. We turned the bend in the road and found ourselves in the woods! Suddenly Blake said, “Ooh it’s dark in here!” We had left the comfort of the light and I was on a road I’d never driven. I agreed and hoped again that I had enough gas to get me through the dark and on to the fields.  After the awesome game, of course with #56 being my favorite player, we got our chairs and headed for home. On the return out of the complex roads and onto the main street, I realized there was a huge hill up ahead. Did I have enough gas to make it through the line of cars in front of me and behind me? Did I literally have enough steam to get where I needed to go?

As we got to the gas station, I breathed a sigh of relief. As I opened the gas cap, I heard a huge exhale of pressure and I knew that I was running on empty. As I filled the car up I vowed to not let it go so long. It’s not safe to be out at night and take the chance of running out of gas. It wasn’t like I didn’t have plenty of gas stations in town to fill up at; it was just that I hadn’t taken the time. I was busy. I got the needed petrol to make it on home and to more events the next day. But I cut it awfully short.

Are you running on empty today?  Are you busy with everyday events, trying to juggle the house, the office, the church, the family and more? Are you running around on fumes, hoping that last month’s or last quarter’s Bible study is enough to get you where you need to go?

Oh beloved, run to the Lord this morning and take freely of all He has for you! He beckons you to come and fill up on His Word, so that you have the steam to make it through the day. There will be mountains to climb in the faith and you may encounter things you’ve not mastered before. You will need all God has to get you through!  How marvelous that God is standing there beckoning you to stop and fill up each and every day.  All of His promises, all of His fuel for living, is readily available, free for the asking and never in short supply.  Oh how He waits for you to stop and drink freely of His living water! Oh how He watches over you even while you let yourself run on empty.  All you need to fill up your heart completely with His power for living is to stop and rest in Him. Oh how He loves  you! Oh how He’s on your side! Oh what a Savior!

Proverbs 19:20-21 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail

Isaiah 55:1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat.

2 Thessalonians 1:11  So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

Psalm 107:9  For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Psalm 143:8  Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul.

Acts 2:28  You have shown me the way of life, and You will fill me with the joy of Your presence.