A dear friend of mine is going through an incredibly tough time. With him in mind, I write, knowing that there are other readers who are also carrying heavy burdens. In moments of trial, we can feel truly alone. Whether it’s health challenges, losses, or simply the exhaustion from life’s waves crashing against us, we all know this feeling. We all experience times when we long for refreshment, as we carry a deep, deathly weariness within us. Someone once said that God feels most at home in the stormiest hearts. Or, as C.S. Lewis put it: “God whispers in times of joy, He shouts in times of pain, but suffering is the megaphone through which God is heard most clearly.”
Throughout the Bible, we are given promises that we don’t have to rely on our own strength, but can live from the divine power of the Spirit. One such promise from God is that He “gives new strength to the weary and renews the discouraged” (Jeremiah 31:25).
Another well-known promise is found in Isaiah 40:29-31: “He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak… 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.” It’s a beautiful song of praise, but it remains just words until you experience it for yourself. As the church father Augustine said: “God’s goodness can only be received with open hands.”
Perhaps you, too, are longing today for the encouragement of God’s loving presence. May you, in your time of trial, experience the powerful work of God’s Spirit, knowing that we have a “Father of compassion and the God who gives encouragement in every circumstance” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
PRAYER: May You today encourage everyone who needs help with strength and hope.
MUSIC:
Let’s listen to the lyric video of Lauren Daigle’s song Light of the World.