Who is never tired and weak? Who has never weary and felt helpless? All of us have experienced it. Is it normal? Of course, because we are human. We live in an endless stream of times, regardless of what our circumstances are. There are times when we feel relieved because one problem is resolved, but a new problem is waiting. Life continues to force us to walk, whether we are strong or not. Sometimes we want time to pause so we can put all the heavy burdens down, but that’s not possible. Indeed, there are times when our lives are peaceful and everything is fine. We are relieved and hope that there is no more pressure. But that calm is only temporary, because something bad, which we never imagined and we don’t want, can happen suddenly. When we are depressed, we cry out to God, hoping for a miracle. But the situation didn’t change, sometimes it even got worse. Maybe we wonder, does God not hear our prayers? Does He not know what we are going through, or does He deliberately ignore it? In the midst of that situation, we are still trying to survive and try not to fall, but some of us may become tired, even want to give up.
If you are weary and weak, tired due to the burdens and pressures of life, let’s read what the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
(Isaiah 40: 27-28 NIV)
These verses are part of a prophecy from God written by the prophet Isaiah in his last years, to give hope and comfort to God’s people during their captivity in Babylon, 150 years after Isaiah’s time. God’s people were rebuked for their unbelief and discouragement in the face of suffering, which they thought was so heavy and sad, as if it was hopeless. The rebuke was also followed by God’s statement about Himself, that He is eternal God, Creator of all things, Ruler of all things. He does not weary and he does not become weak. His understanding is unfathomable. There is no problem so great that He cannot solve and He is able to punish Israel’s oppressors, even though Israel’s years of captivity seem to give the opposite impression.
The same thing God says to us today. Although sometimes God seems to allow injustice or bad things to happen in our lives, God actually cares about us. He does not run out of ideas and ways to help us. He has wisdom to save. His understanding is unexpected. He is extraordinary at arranging things to accomplish His purposes and plans, but He has His own path and timing. God’s wisdom in managing human affairs is beyond our understanding. That’s why we need strength from God in order to live life in this world full of problems.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
(Isaiah 40: 29 NIV)
“He gives strength to the weary” in this verse is very similar to Jesus’ statement, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” in Matthew 11: 28-30. This is an invitation to draw close to God and live by His standards, in order to obtain the strength He promises.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40: 30-31 NIV)
Anyone can be weary, weak, tired and utterly fall. But only those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Those who hope in God will surely wait on God. Waiting on God is not waiting passively or doing nothing. Waiting on God is an attitude of waiting with hope, joy, patience, diligence, while still doing what has to be done, like a farmer waiting for the harvest time. Waiting on God is an active attitude. We can see this attitude in the parable taught by the Lord Jesus in Luke 18: 1-8 about the unjust judge and a widow who constantly urged the judge for help. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (verse 1) So, the important thing we have to do during this waiting period is pray without giving up.
God promises that those who wait on Him and hope in Him will receive new strength, a divine power that renews our human strength. A divine power that makes us energized and refreshed, in the midst of fatigue in living a life full of struggles. With this renewed strength, we will be able to overcome the problems of this world, even enter into the sanctuary of God, like an eagle flying high into the sky on the strength of its wings.
Waiting on God to give us the ability to run spiritually and be able to move forward without feeling weary and tired, including when God suspends His help. When we hope fully in Him, we will be able to carry out God’s commandments with joy, perseverance and persistence, because we know our waiting is not in vain. We are human but we have a super and extraordinary God. Life is not easy, yes, but we have an eternal and powerful God, whose wisdom is unfathomable and incomparable. It is okay if you are feeling tired, weak and helpless right now. The most important thing is to immediately come closer to the Lord Jesus and wait for Him. God will renew the strength of those who hope in Him, so that we will not only be able to overcome problems, but also continue to progress and our spirituality will grow even more. Lord Jesus loves you.
By: Sella Irene – Beautiful Words
Photo Credit: Google Images ( wallpaperscraft.com ) edited with pixlr apps
Karina's Thought 