Posted 4/30/21
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 4:30-1
Hi all! Happy Friday to each and every one of you! 🙂 I realize, from a scientific standpoint, the day is pretty much the exact same length, give or take a millisecond, as it always is, but doesn’t it sure seem like time is flyin’ these days? I mean, you blink your eye and the calendar turns or is thrown away for a new one…
As I came in today I was thinking about my own weariness. I am pretty tired these days. I acknowledge that running around 40-50 miles a week will do that to a 240 pound, still chubby Dad-bod like me, but even before I started losing weight I have struggled with weariness. I sleep well, mind you. I get 5-8 hours of sleep most days which, while not ideal, isn’t bad. I seldom, if ever, get up at night for more than a latrine break. Yet I am weary. The above Bible verse is very encouraging. I add these header verses in what is often a fairly random way just as an enticement to read a little more Bible and I pick the verse based on the date of the year…so this date being 4/30, I give you the verse in Isaiah with the same verse number (4:30) imbedded in it. A truly great verse. As I ran last weekend, I zigzagged through the cemetery as I am wont to do, and I saw the above verse multiple times chipped into the granite/marble of tombstones. (I love reading the names and dates and imagining about the lives of these folks. Odd? Maybe. But I need to know the story of Mr. Hogslayer and some of the other interesting names there…)
What part of this granite pillar verse sticks out in this Coronavirus-infested, Dementia-broken world?
Not.
Grow.
Weary.
The Lord knows we get tired and He encourages us to fight, but with His help. Consider this verse:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
He promises a harvest if we persevere…great things will happen for Him and us and we get to be a critical part of the whole shebang as He unfolds it. Amazing!
Remember that Ephesians 2:10 comes right after verses 8-9 (that everyone loves) The whole verse here, in context, says:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“
We have been empowered/strengthened/enabled to do these good works that HE prepared in advance for US to do. We just have to fight weariness.
Another verse comes to mind:
“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
Are we weary? The Lord beckons us to “come to Him“. Is there work to be done? A yoke, if you will? Yup…He didn’t bait and switch us…He warned us here quite clearly. BUT, He also promised that His yoke is different than the yoke of trying to do it alone… His yoke is easy. His burden is light. It is these things because He is with us. He did the hard stuff…and offers US rest. Amazing.
But how do we know He can hold up His side of the work? (I say this almost tongue-in-cheek as He created the world with less effort required than for us to create a Netflix account), Here is a verse mentioned in a great article that may help:
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Psalm 62:5-7)
Sounds stable enough to rest against, doesn’t He? Indeed He is.
So as you stay up late at night with your loved one or as you fight to end this disease, please don’t grow weary. Peace in times of trial and cures for diseases are above our pay grade…waaaaaay above it. Rest in the One who can cure and does provide peace. Rest in Him. Our ability is frail. His is complete.
#EndALZ
Update: Mom is weary. She is tired. Her brain is harmed deeply by this stinkin’ disease…you can see it in the pictures above. However, you can also see in many of my pictures that she is resting against Him as she fights. I can do no less as I fight for a cure for her, for my uncle, and for your loved one.
Have a great weekend all! Please keep up the fight….it is worth it.
FYI…today is the last day of my car wash fundraiser. If you are in SW Missouri, by chance, and can swing by Blue Iguana car wash, be sure to put in wash code 1735 and our fundraiser gets 25% of the proceeds. 🙂
Thank you all for your support! 🙂
What a great message! It’s so easy and tempting to grow weary and think we can’t continue on.
How great that she did her part in leading her family to Christ!
Thank you. 🙂