<\/p>\n
\n
April 23, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n An Agenda That Will Never Satisfy<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.\u201d Mark 3:14-15 (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n I should have been happy. I knew it. I could have listed so many things for which I was thankful.<\/p>\n So what was this undercurrent of disappointment that ebbed and flowed just beneath the surface? In my more honest moments, I got still, and I got sad.<\/p>\n I was doing a lot, pouring myself out for God, but not really spending time getting refilled by God.<\/p>\n Maybe you can relate.<\/p>\n We run at a breakneck pace to try to achieve what God wants us to slow down enough to receive.<\/p>\n He really does have it all worked out. The gaps filled. The needs met. The questions answered. The problems solved. And the parts He\u2019s purposed for us? They\u2019re all perfectly portioned out in assignments meant for us each day. No more. No less.<\/p>\n What God asks is that we personally receive from<\/em> Him before we set out to work for<\/em> Him. In doing so, we\u2019re fueled by His power and encouraged by His presence. This is the daily, sacred exchange where ministry duty turns into pure delight.<\/p>\n How it must break God’s heart when we work like we don\u2019t believe He\u2019s capable. We say we trust Him but then act as if everything depends on us. We give all we have to the tasks at hand, with only occasional leftovers of time to slightly acknowledge Him.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like a little girl running while holding a cup, sloshing out all it contains. She thinks what will refill her is just ahead. So she presses on with determination \u2014 clutching an empty cup.<\/p>\n She keeps running toward an agenda God never set, one that will never satisfy.<\/p>\n She holds out her cup as she runs by Him but catches only a few drops of His provision because she didn\u2019t stop long enough for her cup to be filled.<\/p>\n Emptiness can\u2019t be tempered with mere drops. The tragic truth is what will fill her \u2026 what will fill us \u2026 isn\u2019t the accomplishment just ahead. That shiny thing is actually a vacuum that sucks us dry and can never refill us.<\/p>\n I should know because that\u2019s where I was. There\u2019s no kind of emptiness quite like this emptiness \u2014 where your hands are full, but inside, you know you\u2019re nothing but an exhausted shell.<\/p>\n It would take slow moments with God to get me out of this empty place. I needed to reconnect with the One who knows how to breathe life back into depleted and dead places. Jesus doesn\u2019t participate in the rat race. He\u2019s into the slower rhythms of life like abiding, delighting, and dwelling \u2014 all words Scripture uses to describe us being with Him.<\/p>\n In fact, when Jesus appointed the disciples, there were two parts to their calling, as we see in Mark 3:14-15: \u201cHe appointed twelve that they might be with him<\/strong> and that he might send them out<\/strong> to preach and to have authority to drive out demons\u201d<\/em> (emphases added).<\/p>\n Yes, they were to go preach and drive out demons, but the first part of their calling was simply to \u201cbe with him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n True fulfillment comes when we remember to be with Jesus before going out to serve Him. He wants our hearts in alignment with Him before our hands set about doing today\u2019s assignment for Him.<\/p>\n Jesus extends what we need each day, and He invites us to receive in prayer, worship, and His Word. I can imagine Him lovingly replenishing our cup while whispering: This isn\u2019t a race to test the fastest pace. I just want you to persevere on the path I have marked out especially for you. Fix your eyes not on a worldly prize but on staying in love with Me.<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s an agenda that\u2019s always completely satisfying.<\/p>\n Dear Lord, I\u2019m choosing to stop in the midst of everything to just be with You. Let me never forget what a gift it is to spend this sacred time in Your presence. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n If today\u2019s devotion made you long for slower rhythms and a refilled cup, that\u2019s a beautiful place to start. Jesus called the disciples to be with Him before He sent them out \u2014 and that invitation still stands. She Speaks was created as a space to do just that. Three days to worship freely, understand God\u2019s Word deeply, and reconnect with the One who fuels your calling. Not to add pressure but to bring clarity. Not to run faster but to walk steadier. There\u2019s something powerful about gathering with women who are also choosing presence before performance and alignment before assignment. If your heart is ready to receive and be refreshed, this might be your next yes. Join us at She Speaks, and secure your seat here.<\/strong><\/p>\n Find everyday encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.<\/p>\n John 15:5, \u201cI am the vine, you are<\/em> the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing\u201d (NKJV).<\/p>\n Every day, God invites us to abide, delight, and dwell in Him. On a practical level, what does it look like for you to do this right now? We\u2019d love to hear from you in the comments.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries
LYSA TERKEURST <\/span><\/p>\nOUR FAVORITE THINGS<\/h4>\n
ENGAGE<\/h4>\n
FOR DEEPER STUDY<\/h4>\n
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org<\/strong><\/p>\n