Leaning on Jesus When You Feel Empty Inside
There are gaping holes between the boughs of the blue spruce. I’m surprised to notice thick clumps of pinecones at the end of each branch. The spruce is bearing fruit, even in the gaps. I’m reminded of what I’ve been learning about leaning on Jesus when I feel empty inside.
When You Feel Empty
We all face empty seasons. We wonder how we will possibly manage to bear good fruit in our lives. Meanwhile, Jesus offers an invitation: “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4 NASB).
Jesus tells us we can pour into the next generation even when the demands of everyday life leave us empty.
We can make a difference in our workplaces even when we face opposition on every side.
Jesus equips us to shine his light in our darkest seasons.
Leaning on Jesus When You Feel Empty
The spruce tree is echoing Truth. It teaches us what we need to know about leaning on Jesus when we feel empty inside:
1. Lean on Jesus by Finding Delight in Him – Especially When Life Is Hard
Scripture offers insight into where we should find our delight:
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:1-2)
Let’s pause to consider what it means to find our delight in the law of the Lord.
The law of the Lord doesn’t feel all that delightful at first glance. I think of a list of rules I’m required to keep. The law feels like work – not delight.
Let’s take a closer look at the law of the Lord. The law is God’s entire written Word – not just the rules. Matthew Poole notes: “The law of God may be here understood of the whole doctrine delivered by God to the church, consisting of doctrines, precepts, promises . . .”
God’s law is more than the ten commandments; it is the entirety of the Bible.
Chew on God’s Word, and God will change your heart. God will meet you in your emptiness. You will find an anchor for your soul.
Chew on God's Word, and God will change your heart. God will meet you in your emptiness. You will find an anchor for your soul. #GodsWord #leaningonJesus #encounteringGod Click To Tweet2. Leaning on Jesus Happens When You Channel Your Thoughts
The next part of Psalm 1 reads: “And in his law he meditates day and night” (verse 2b).
Our eyes drift to whatever we think about. We then become more like the objects of our attention.
Where do your thoughts drift when there is a quiet moment? When your mind spins in the midnight hour, what do you think about?
I want to think about Jesus and his truth. I need to be deliberate about imprinting it on my mind. More than any other discipline, memorizing Scripture helps me imprint God’s truth upon my mind.
We can train our minds on what to think about. Focus on the emptiness in your life, and you will be prone to wallow in defeat. Instead, fix your eyes on this promise: God will never leave you. He works all things for the good of those who love him. Find courage in these words.
3. Draw from Your Roots
We have been watching a small white pine tree grow in our neighbors’ yard for about eight years.
After a large renovation project on our neighbors’ property, the strangest event took place. Our little tree shriveled into a spindly brown skeleton and died.
The excavation project took place at least several feet from the little tree’s trunk. However, the digging hurt the root system. The roots were an expansive underground support system pouring life into the little tree.
Our roots of faith are important too. Vital. Undermine the roots, and you undermine the whole system.
I want to bear fruit in my emptiness, and I need my roots of faith to help me. Roots planted in the soil of temporal comforts and worldly pleasures don’t yield fruit. However, when I imprint God’s truth on my heart, I will be like the tree described in verse 3 of our Psalm.
“ . . . like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever she does, she prospers.”
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