“I’m weary, I’m exhausted, I’m beat, I’m so tired, I’m worn out.” These are phrases I keep hearing— from the mouths of others and even from my own mouth. We are run ragged by the demands of society, the demands of our schedules, the demands of others, and the demands of our own self-expectations. We hustle and bustle, expending every ounce of energy we have, and then we go looking for more to finish the job. Caffeine and chocolate and exercise and power foods become our aids. We try to boost our energy and keep our eyes open wide. But somewhere, something is going to give. We can only keep up such a pace for such a time before it all comes tumbling down. Soon we will be running on empty, and then crawling on fumes, and then there will be no motion at all.
Why do we do this to ourselves? This is not how God designed things to be. He gives rest, strength, power, and peace, yet, we seem to want to live independently in a frenzy. He is right there, available and willing to assist us, and yet, we try to get through life on our own and in our own strength. His ways are higher than our ways, yet we choose the low road, the long road, the hard road. Our independence and our human solutions make life heavier and more difficult. But there is a better way: His way.
“We can combat weariness by thinking about these facts: God is our strength, God is our power, and God makes our way perfect (see 2 Sam. 22:33). I can relate these words to my own life because I am not my strength and power, nor do I make my way perfect; I do quite the opposite: I often make my way messy, very messy. Thankfully, the Lord gives strength and peace to His people (see Ps. 29:11). We will find rest when we fill our minds with Him rather than with obsessive thoughts of fear, failure, and worry. And if we are willing to take the time to lay our burdens upon His shoulders and be taught a better way, we will be refreshed, renewed, revitalized, and educated about how to do things in His strength rather than ours. At times, we may be rescued entirely and have the burdens completely taken away; other times, the burdens remain, but He is there to help us carry them. No matter how long, how far, and how difficult our journeys are, God will help us complete them, and not just complete them, but excel at doing so. He will strengthen our spirits with His supernatural power so that we can meet the challenges of life.”1
There are so many things in life that can render us powerless, but His power is always available to us. Whether we are weighed down in our physical bodies, in our hearts, in our minds, or in our spirits, He can give help that is beyond our understanding. We are not left to flounder on our own in hopelessly powerless positions; He is right there by our sides, and He knows exactly how to aid us and handle the circumstances we are in. When troubles come, He will guide our paths, direct our steps, hold our hands, and guard our hearts. Even when things look impossible, and it seems we cannot take another step, He is still the omnipotent God. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who believe in Him.2 We can be “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.”3
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.4
NOTES
1 Francee Strain, No Ordinary Invitation: Called to Live a Life of Eternal Purpose, (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2017), 47.
2 See Ephesians 1:19–20.
3 See Colossians 1:11.
4 Psalm 121:1–2
Scriptures taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, ©1982 by Thomas Nelson.
©Text and photo Francee Strain, September 26, 2021
Come Unto Me Ministries 