He gives strength to the weary

I sat on the kitchen floor and cried. I failed again. Failed to speak that kind and gracious word. Failed to do what seemed to be right in a given moment. And the thoughts were as such: "I'll never be good enough. I'll never change." After five long minutes, I stood up, and finally went to the Word. It opened to a very familiar passage that reads:

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

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 40:29-31)

I am not sure if you have ever felt tired or weary. I sure did in that moment. But, the Lord spoke straight into my heart and to those lies and feelings of condemnation with this message. The verse says that "even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall." My "stumbling" to God was no surprise, for even young men stumble and fall. It happens. He was not calling me a failure. But He was giving direction: "...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." I had been looking down and sitting down, collecting tears, saying I would never even make it. But God's word shook off such thoughts, to instead put my hope in Him. In doing so, He would renew my strength. Those who do so will indeed soar on wings like eagle; they would run and not be faint. But, what exactly does this mean to hope in the Lord?

Later that night, He reminded me again of verse 29: "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." He revealed I never needed to be ashamed of my weakness. Why? Because He gives power to the weak. He was saying even in being weary, He was providing strength. My hope in this moment meant to accept my weaknesses, but to know that in them God would supply what is needed. Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9). Apostle Paul responded to those words and said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). In acknowledging my weaknesses, my inabilities, the one thing to do was to come to Him who does give strength, so that Christ's power could rest on me.

Whether you are weary over a heavy burden, fear, a relationship turned in another way, or what seems to be a flaw, you can trust that the Lord renews your strength of those who hope in him. To those who do not deny their weakness, but rely on His power and grace instead, we can rejoice, because, "for when I am weak, THEN I am strong."

Let His grace and sufficiency carry you.