Lord, renew my strength!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

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 (NIV))

This passage has come to mind many times recently. It has become my second life verse behind Psalm 46:10a, “Be still and know that I am God.” I rely on the Lord to renew my strength on a daily basis for I am weary beyond belief. I trust in the Lord to lift me up even in the midst of the troubles of this world, and there are a multitude of troubles.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 6:33 (NIV))

My weariness is deep inside. It is a weariness of the soul. I see the things of this world and it breaks my heart to see so many who are lost in the lies of the enemy. I am utterly saddened to see that there is no moral compass in the lives of way too many people. I am weary from the heartache. I am weary from the continual downward spiral that the world is taking.

There is only one thing that overcomes this weariness. There is only one place where I put my trust. I lift my heart, I lift my eyes, I lift my voice to heaven and my spirit cries out to the Lord of all creation. My spirit is weary, but it is not a weariness that is beyond hope, for my hope is placed in Jesus. I am torn in my weariness. I long to see Jesus, yet, I want to see everyone come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. I long to mount up with wings like eagles, yet I am burdened by the view of those who are lost below.

Lord, renew my strength. Give me wisdom. Give me a heart like yours!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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In our weariness, we must turn to Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NAS))

There are two types of weariness that we, as humans, experience. We can be weary physically and we can be weary spiritually and emotionally. No matter how strong we may be, our physical bodies can only handle so much before we reach a point where we are too tired, too broken, to do anything else. We need to rest! I am sure that all of us have experienced this in our lives.

What about emotional and spiritual weariness?

I realize that this could be considered two separate instances, but have you ever seen someone who is emotionally drained who is not spiritually drained? Have you ever seen someone who is spiritually exhausted who is not emotionally drained? The two go hand in hand. When we are like this, we also need rest!

What are the things in this life that beat you down, make you tired, and leave you feeling exhausted and drained? Is it finances? Is it addiction? Is it the state of the world? Is it a loved one’s lack of a relationship with Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?

I know that we all have them, I know that we all need to find a shelter from these things. I know that we need a safe and secure place where we can find rest from the things in this world that make us weary.

We can find physical rest in many different ways and places. Some go to the mountains. Others go to the beach. Some go fishing, while others will simply become a semi-permanent fixture on their couch. In all of creation, there is only one place where we can find rest from the things that weigh heavily on us spiritually and emotionally.

That one place is at the feet of Jesus! That one place is in the presence of the one who has taken all of our burdens upon Himself. Only Jesus can lift the burdens that our sinful nature weighs us down with.

In our weariness, we must turn to Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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