Hope For The Battle Weary
Tired barely begins to describe how I feel most days. I often find myself preparing food at midnight or one in the morning. I climb into bed at two or so only to be awakened barely five hours later by the sound of my two-year-old saying, “Mama I want you.”
Assuming of course said two-year-old doesn’t feel the need to make this declaration sometime between two-thirty and seven-thirty.
I’m not complaining. Just stating the facts. I’m not looking for sympathy. Everyone has their own battles that they are facing. This is just what my battle looks like right now. It won’t last forever. Another stage of life will come with its own challenges.
But burning the candle at both ends does take its toll. Every day feels like survival mode. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually a weariness sets in that will take more than a good nights sleep to cure.
Although that does help.
We all go through times in our lives when the work seems unending. When we are pulled on from every direction. There will be times in our lives when we feel like we have given so much of ourselves away that there is nothing left to give.
Sometimes we’ll be up all night with a newborn, or waiting on a spouse that’s working late. Maybe it will be working two jobs to make ends meet. Or we could be caring for sick loved ones, or some combination of the above.
There will come a time when we throw up our hands and say, “I can’t take another day of this!”
And it will be true.
Sometimes we can’t take it.
Sometimes we aren’t strong enough. Sometimes the weight of the world really is too much.
Sometimes God allows us to get to the place where we just can’t take another step to remind us to rely on His strength.
God told the apostle Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
We forget so easily. When things seem to be going our way, we have a tendency to leave God behind, and to think, “I’ve got this.”
But we really don’t. It’s just an illusion. One small detail can change, and suddenly the world is spinning out of control. Out of our control anyway.
Nothing is ever out of God’s control.
We find ourselves sleep deprived, emotionally spent and ready to throw in the towel.
It’s in our weakest moments that we can clearly see the strength of our God, and how desperately we need Him.
When we are handling things ourselves, we don’t leave room for God to work in our lives.
Accepting that we aren’t strong enough doesn’t mean giving up. It means giving it to God.
Even at our strongest, our strength is weakness when compared to an omnipotent God. What is impossible for mankind, God can accomplish with just a thought.
Our strength may fail us. We may have to stop and rest when our bodies are on the verge of giving out. We may try and fail to carry on though the weariness and busyness of life.
But God is never tired, never needs to sleep, and He never fails.
Before we get to the place where we want run away and hide, we need to spend some time at the feet of The Master. We need to fall into the arms of The God of the universe, and let Him carry us.
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
When we feel like we can’t go on, His grace is sufficient.
