Strength for the weary

Do you ever feel weary? I don’t mean tired. I mean weary of everything – the spiritual battle against forces of evil, the disappointment of relationships being difficult, the lack of progress in goals you want to reach. It’s tempting to give up.

Elijah was a tower of strength, combating the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and challenging the people of Israel about choosing God’s ways. Then the next day he lost all hope in the face of Queen Jezebel’s death threats and ran for his life. ‘Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he could die. “It’s too much, LORD”, he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!” (1 Kings 19:4). Yet despite his feelings he was still in a close relationship with God, and God heard his cry and sent an angel to supply his needs. Later he told God how lonely it was to be the only one in the land serving the LORD. God gave him the names of three people who were to help him and revealed the fact that seven thousand people were still true worshippers.

The prophet Isaiah once spoke to the people of Israel saying ‘Israel, why then do you complain that the LORD doesn’t know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice’ (Isaiah 40:27)? Like Elijah, the people needed to know more about the nature of their God and his almighty power. Isaiah said God calls each star by name and created the entire universe. He cares about the weak and the tired and strengthens them. As they trust Him He renews their strength so they can rise up as if they have strong powerful wings, like an eagle. Then they can move forward in God’s purposes, running and walking. But those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak (Isaiah 40:31).