Savage2Saint Sobriety April 15, 2026

⁹ So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor. ¹⁰ But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men. - 1 Samuel 30:9,10 (NLT).

We all get tired. It's an unfortunate part of life. Our bodies have real, physical limitations that let us know we're only human. Limitations that cause anxiety, fear, loneliness, and exhaustion. The physical limitations we are all bound by have a way of influencing other parts of our lives in a negative way. We make poor decisions when we're tired. We miss church services when we're tired. We lose our tempers, become unavailable to people in need, and find ourselves only giving half efforts when we're tired. We all get tired and that's okay, because it's okay to not be okay. You're not alone and you're not broken. You just need rest.

In 1 Samuel 30, we see the story of David and 600 men pursuing the Amalekites to recover their wives and children that had been stolen while David and his men were away. As they pursued, 200 of the men were too exhausted to carry on so David told them to stay behind, and he went forward without them. After they had recovered everything, David made sure to share the spoils with the 200 men who had stayed behind. David recognized that fighting with 400 men was better than fighting with more men who may not be up to the task at hand.

In life, there are going to be times when we have to admit to ourselves that our physical limitations are getting in the way of our progress. The world wants us to believe that we have to be on the go all of the time in order to be successful, but the Bible tells us that proper rest is vital to the cause. We won't make any progress if we're too tired to take another step, and we sure can't lead others if we're running on empty. Fatigue is not failure, it's human. Knowing when to take a break is just as important as knowing when to press in because they work together to help you achieve the desired goal.

We are going to have to live with our physical limitations until our time on earth is over. We have to learn to recognize when we're reaching our own limits and not beat ourselves up over taking a break when we're too tired to go any further. It's okay to admit that you're tired and need some help. Even Jesus needed rest. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion]. - Luke 5:16 (Amp). Let's follow His example. God Bless!