An Agenda That Will Never Satisfy - Encouragement for Today - April 23, 2026

Audio By Carbonatix

April 23, 2026

An Agenda That Will Never Satisfy
LYSA TERKEURST

Lee en español

“He 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.” Mark 3:14-15 (NIV)

I should have been happy. I knew it. I could have listed so many things for which I was thankful.

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.

I was doing a lot, pouring myself out for God, but not really spending time getting refilled by God.

Maybe you can relate.

We run at a breakneck pace to try to achieve what God wants us to slow down enough to receive.

He really does have it all worked out. The gaps filled. The needs met. The questions answered. The problems solved. And the parts He’s purposed for us? They’re all perfectly portioned out in assignments meant for us each day. No more. No less.

What God asks is that we personally receive from Him before we set out to work for Him. In doing so, we’re fueled by His power and encouraged by His presence. This is the daily, sacred exchange where ministry duty turns into pure delight.

How it must break God's heart when we work like we don’t believe He’s 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.

It’s 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 — clutching an empty cup.

She keeps running toward an agenda God never set, one that will never satisfy.

She holds out her cup as she runs by Him but catches only a few drops of His provision because she didn’t stop long enough for her cup to be filled.

Emptiness can’t be tempered with mere drops. The tragic truth is what will fill her … what will fill us … isn’t the accomplishment just ahead. That shiny thing is actually a vacuum that sucks us dry and can never refill us.

I should know because that’s where I was. There’s no kind of emptiness quite like this emptiness — where your hands are full, but inside, you know you’re nothing but an exhausted shell.

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’t participate in the rat race. He’s into the slower rhythms of life like abiding, delighting, and dwelling — all words Scripture uses to describe us being with Him.

In fact, when Jesus appointed the disciples, there were two parts to their calling, as we see in Mark 3:14-15: “He 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” (emphases added).

Yes, they were to go preach and drive out demons, but the first part of their calling was simply to “be with him.”

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’s assignment for Him.

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’t 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.

That’s an agenda that’s always completely satisfying.

Dear Lord, I’m 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’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

If today’s devotion made you long for slower rhythms and a refilled cup, that’s a beautiful place to start. Jesus called the disciples to be with Him before He sent them out — and that invitation still stands. She Speaks was created as a space to do just that. Three days to worship freely, understand God’s 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’s 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.

ENGAGE

Find everyday encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (NKJV).

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’d love to hear from you in the comments.

© 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org