Feeling Weary
Louise Harris
As I began to think about writing my reflection this time, I said to my heavenly father, “Lord I just feel too weary to think about this, and I need your inspiration”.
I felt the Lord’s gentle reply – ‘just write about weariness, others will be feeling the same’.
Feeling weary can come in many different forms, it may be physical tiredness, mental exhaustion or perhaps a spiritual struggle. Sometimes it's a combination of all three, and for many different reasons. We may just simply feel we have too much on our plates as we juggle a whole host of responsibilities. It could be the result of a long wait for something we have yearned for, it may be uncertainty about the future, worries about different aspects of our lives, or the product of sadness, discouragement and grief.
There is a lot in the Bible about feeling weary, and what our response should be.
I absolutely love the passage from Isaiah 40:
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40: 31 (NKJV)
It’s interesting that we have to stop and wait before we can find new strength to carry on. We need to take a breather and remember who’s actually in charge, and it’s not us!
The passion translation puts in a really wonderful way – it says, “Those who entwine their hearts with YAHWEH (God) will experience divine strength”. There are a couple of pointers here: we can’t really entwine our hearts with Him if we are running about like headless chickens or even just trudging along in our own strength. If we connect our hearts with Him and realign ourselves then His divine strength will come – it’s a promise.
Another wonderful verse is found in Matthew 11:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11: 28-30 (NIV)
I have read that verse so many times, but I still need reminding that it's a call to action - it's very simple, all I need to do is go to the Lord. Taking His yoke requires us to put down the burdens we're trying to carry ourselves and let Him do it. A yoke sounds like it could be heavy, but He assures us it's easy and light – as ever, His ways are not our ways.
Sometimes when I feel weary, I think to myself that it’s just my age, I’m getting older and don’t have the energy I used to. That’s true to some extent BUT even here there are wonderful promises in God’s word. This is a good one:
Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46: 4 ( NIV)
I may never have grey hair ( not as long as hairdressers roam the earth!) but I am so reassured that my heavenly Father will sustain me in all the seasons in my life. If needed, then He will carry me.
So, when we feel weary, let’s pause and reset – look to Him, the source of all we need and let his divine strength take over.
