Are you feeling a bit weary? Me too.
I have no pressing hardships to complain about. My routine has changed very little (I’ve always had a home office). But I’m having trouble focusing. I’m easily distracted—sometimes for hours. My mind keeps drifting to an unsettled place—questions with no answers, hypotheticals that seem unthinkable, no place to run or hide.
I remind myself of the truth that I teach others: you cannot erase negative thoughts—you must replace them.
And oh what a treasure trove of options we have in God’s Book! How about some words from Isaiah 40? Six verses, pulled out of a sixty-six chapter book, to redirect our thoughts (Isaiah 40:26-31).
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
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.
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.
God gives us an object lesson from the universe. He tells us to look up and observe the stars. He asks rhetorically, “Who created all these?” (It wasn’t us.) Stars are not merely a random collection—God names the stars and gives attention to each one. These celestial bodies move continually in orbit, yet none of them is ever lost. God tells us why. His great power and mighty strength keeps them where they need to be. They cannot wander beyond his reach.
God’s point here is not the stars—it’s about his people. During the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon, the people complained that God didn’t know…and didn’t care. God reminded them in this passage that he keeps track of the stars, and he keeps track of his people.
And what about our world today? Does God know where each of us are? And what we’re going through? Does he care? Has he disregarded our concerns?
He reminds us in Isaiah 40 who we’re dealing with. The Lord, Yahweh, is the eternal God, with no beginning and no end. To say that he is the Creator of the ends of the earth refers to both distance and time. His dominion stretches to the farthest place and the final day. This means that he sees those who occupy hospital beds around the world, and those who are sheltering at home. He knows where the virus goes and when it will end. He keeps track of the stars, and he keeps track of his people. He’s got the whole world in his hands.
What else does he tell us about himself? Unlike us, he does not grow tired or weary. And his comprehension is beyond what we can grasp. Together these two attributes tell us that he knows what he’s doing in the world, and he has unlimited endurance to see his wise plan through to the end.
Do you not know this? Have you not heard this before? Yes, most of us have heard this before. So why are we feeling depleted and weak?
Because we lack the two things that God possesses—knowledge and power. We don’t understand what’s going on with this crazy virus. We have no power over it, or even to control our own fate. And so we grow tired and weary of the uncertainty.
The world struggles to find answers, but God’s people have an answer right in front of us. God knows our plight, as surely as he knew the weariness of Israel.
He makes a promise to those who hope in him.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Our physical strength has limits. The strongest among us eventually runs out of fuel. But those who hope in the Lord will have their strength re-supplied. Some translations read, “…those who wait on the Lord.” Both hope and wait convey a single idea—waiting hopefully.
Then back to nature he takes us. Picture eagles gliding through the air, high above the treetops. It’s not their great understanding or power that keeps them soaring—it’s God’s design. That’s how God designed them to function. He has a different design for his people. His plan is for us to renew our strength in him, to come to him when depleted and weak. This is the only way we can continue to run the race that is before us, energized by his strength.
I am memorizing these life-giving words because, if I just read them, I will be inspired for about half a day and then I will forget. If I memorize the words, I will have to say them over and over, and confront myself with the question, “Do I believe what God is promising me?”
Who will join me in memorizing these six verses? Let’s spread the word and recruit some others. Let me know if you are in. And feel free to share other passages that give you strength during this unsettling time.
Janet,
We have so much time! I’ll commit to memorizing all of Isaiah chapter 40. It seems to me God wants us armed and ready when this is all over. I plan to be fully armed 🙂 I love that God is still using you through all of this. Thank you for the encouragement. Lobe in Christ,
Mandy
Hi Mandy, Great to see you on this blog! And so happy that you are going to memorize all of Isaiah 40. The whole chapters is amazing. I hope others will join you.
This is a passage that I memorized several years ago, but they are distant now so I will work on them again. Thanks Lee
Hi Lee, This is such a powerful chapter. So glad you are reworking it. We all need these verses right now.
I’m in! Working on Psalm 91, slowly, but this semi-familiar passage in Isaiah will be such an encouragement. To
Hi Beverly, I am also working on another passage, but I felt like I needed this one this week, and probably longer. We will be persevering together.
i recently “revisited” Psalm 19 — oh, how I needed the reminder of God’s ever-presence and unchanging nature, and how sufficient His Word is for everything. And, it was an excellent time to remember that “acceptable” words of my mouth and meditations of my heart do NOT include complaining and discontent, or worry and abandonment . . .
God’s Word truly is sufficient!
There are so many perfect scriptures that fit during this stressful time. Our problem is not that we don’t know them, but that we don’t apply them. Speaking about myself first.
Since my dad’s passing in May 2007, this passage has brought me comfort over the years. When I would travel back & forth to see my mom & sister, I often times would see an eagle soaring over a field. This is a perfect verse for us to focus on. I still have to work in the office for we are classified essential. Day by day I try not to let my fear of catching the virus & bringing it home to my husband who is in the high risk category if he becomes infected.
Thank you, Janet, for writing this blog & reminding us of these verses.
Hi Amy, Praying for you right now. I share your concern because my husband is also in the high risk group. God’s love is not hampered in any way by this virus. He will either keep us from it, or help us through it. Find your strength in the One who never grows weary.
I’m in too, Janet! Psalm 91 has been my “go to” lately, but I will join you all for this passage. Like Susan Turner, I, too, am grateful that you taught me to memorize God’s word to know God better and love him more!
Hi Richie, Psalm 91 is on the hearts of God’s people these days. I have not memorized that one but I need to. So many great promises from our Father who never takes his eyes off of us. He knows where we are, and he cares about his kids.
I will memorize this with you
Thank you for the encouragement
Im still having to GO to work
In a police dispatch setting so i need
the encouragement
Thank you
Jane
Jane, Many people like you are not at home, but are working every day in vital jobs. May these words breathe life into your job. My son is a police officer so I totally get it.
I can’t memorize anything anymore but I can still read my Bible.
Hi Gary, The great thing is that memorizing is not one of the commandments. The most important thing is to believe what God has said. So if you believe the promises in Isaiah 40, that’s way better than memorizing but not believing. Thanks for your comment.
I’m halfway through memorizing Romans 8 so this will be a nice break to focus on this part of Is 40 for a week. I’ll try to recruit a couple others too. Thanks Janet!
Yay Dana. We can do this and get back to our other passages later.
Count me in!
Hi Susan, so happy that you will join us. I’ve been saying the verses as I walk around the park in the morning. It’s an encouraging way to start the day.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder Janet. God’s Word is more alive now than ever. How desperate I am for it right now and feel like I can devour it. I want to hang on every life giving Word. I am so grateful for you sweet friend who taught me how to do this.
you are so right Susan. We need God’s Word now more than ever. I’m so grateful that God lets me tell others about the transformation and joy that comes from memorizing his Word. You already know Isaiah 40, and I’m sure the words have renewed significance.
I’m in! This has wearied me for sure. Thanks Janet – we can always gain the correct perspective through His Word. Jana
Awesome. We will all be soaring like eagles!
Oh yes, I’m in as well! Love these verses—thanks for highlighting them in this post! I’m going to try to recruit 3 other friends!
Yay Shelly, Let’s get an army of Word Warriors.
Wonderful blog post to end the day with. The small stresses of quarantine life pile up during the day, and it’s nice to end with a quiet reflection on the goodness of God. Thank you for sharing your perspective and encouragement. I’ll join you in memorizing the verses as well. Good night, all!
Good morning Natalie, So thrilled to see your comment. All the mothers with small children at home, and the extra load of homeschooling, need our prayers for endurance. May you be strengthened by the Lord to be the source of stability and peace in your home. Press on dear daughter, God is working mightily in your home.
Count me in! I just taught our women’s Bible study on these very verses, and they really ministered to me. They’re just what my heart and mind need to be fixed on right now, so that I can keep a clear view of Jesus and what He’s doing. I don’t want to miss opportunities the Lord is opening up in this unprecedented time.
Hi Patty, You’re right, we don’t want to miss opportunities especially right now when the whole world is alert and searching. If we are weary and weighed down, how will we help others? The Lord will strengthen us to be his light during this unprecedented time.
Great reminder to be in the Word. Trust God!