#072126

JULY 21, 2026, TUESDAY Entry: 11:17pm, Baguio City

VERSE OF THE DAY: JEREMIAH 31:25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.

FINDING MARGIN IN GOD'S PRESENCE I passed a wall of magazines at an airport—one headline stopping me in my tracks. It said, “Why We Are More Exhausted Than Ever.”

That day I was so fatigued I could feel it in my soul. Like many, I had embraced a lifestyle of long hours, chronic stress, constant travel, endless screen time, and a pace with minimal margin.

In trying to serve others, as well as feed poor and suffering people around the world, I had slowly neglected my own needs and the remedies God had provided to keep me whole.

That strategy works—until it doesn’t.

This life is an incredible adventure, but our minds, bodies, and souls require attention—not neglect.

The world offers promises of happiness and contentment that inevitably fall short and lead to disillusionment and disappointment. God, on the other hand, offers care for our deepest needs and everyday challenges.

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." Jeremiah 31:25 NIV

Many of the professions with the highest rates of burnout are service-oriented: doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, ministers, social workers, military personnel, and parents of young children.

While the priorities and practices propagated by this world ultimately lead to weariness, the ways of God lead to lasting renewal.

After reading that magazine article and studying Scripture, I was reminded of a simple truth: The most significant step we can take to remain refreshed is to spend time in God’s presence. That unlocks the door to wisdom, perspective, respite, refreshment, and restores our mind, body and soul.

In other words, our hope soars when we spend time in the presence of God. Prayer, worship, Scripture reading, church participation, and service to others invites God’s presence and provides the antidote to a weary world.

The world offers distractions and temporary relief that ultimately leave us empty. Conversely, God offers renewal that provides focus, contentment, energy, and vision.

Receive those gifts, then use them to serve others and introduce them to Jesus.

Today's devotional was written by Hal Donaldson of Convoy of Hope.

BE ENCOURAGED While the priorities and practices of this world ultimately lead to weariness, the way of God lead to lasting renewal.

REFLECT Why is it important to remain refreshed and ready to respond to the opportunities God sends your way?

SHARE YOUR FAITH Who do you know that's feeling depleted? You can lovingly remind them that true replenishing is found in Him.