Yesterday afternoon, I hit a wall. Not literally (thankfully), but my lack of sleep the night before caught up with me. I managed the morning, thanks to caffeine, but by mid-afternoon I was done. I had planned on doing some afternoon and evening work, but alas … This morning, however, I feel refreshed and ready to get back at it.
Of course, there’s tired… and then there’s tired.
Sometimes we all face the kind that sleep doesn’t fix. The kind that settles into your spirit and makes even small things feel heavy. The kind where faith itself feels like more effort than you have to give.
Isaiah speaks into that kind of weariness: those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).
He wasn’t talking about one or two restless nights with no to little sleep. He was talking about circumstances that wear us down over time, that make us wonder whether we’ll ever find peace or joy or strength again.
Then he offers a beautiful promise. Wait on the Lord. The Lord will renew your strength.
If we’re honest, waiting isn’t exactly our preferred strategy. We like solutions. Movement. Progress. Quick and easy results.
Waiting feels like doing nothing—except it’s not nothing. It’s trust. Notice that Isaiah doesn’t just say “wait.” He says, “Wait on the Lord.” That’s a different kind of waiting.
That kind of waiting knows that there are times when endurance matters more than enthusiasm. Times when finding strength doesn’t come by pushing, but by leaning. To trust that God is at work renewing and strengthening, even if we don’t immediately see or feel results.
Isaiah closes by saying that when our strength is renewed by God, we will soar like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.
But, for today, perhaps your faith doesn’t look like soaring. That’s okay. Because sometimes it looks like staying. The key is to not let go of the God who promises that you will soar.
Prayer: God, there are days when I am weary … tired in my body, in my spirit, and even in my soul. There are days when a good night’s sleep isn’t enough. Renew my strength in ways I can’t create on my own. Help me to wait on you with quiet trust. Then let me soar like an eagle for you. Amen.
