TIRED, WEARY, FAINT—Subtle shades of meaning shine forth to encourage us in our daily walk with the Lord. The classic passage in Isaiah chapter 40 expresses all those words. I tried to mine gold out of each word with the help of some Hebrew-Greek resources.
We draw our strength from God whom this text makes clear never becomes weary or tired as we human creations do. Tired implies loss of energy, zip and vitality. We use up our physical or mental reserves through laborious work, strain or continuous stress. We are depleted and feel drained. Our bodily battery has lost its charge. Common to man—nothing to feel guilty about.
Jesus became so tired that he could sleep soundly in a rocking, rolling boat in the middle of a storm while His disciples panicked in fear for their lives. He experienced exhausting days physically in the human part of His nature. Tired is something that rest and sleep will cure. The three most faithful disciples fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane from physical weakness.
After their return from the ministry of teaching and healing on which He had sent them, Jesus called His disciples to retreat to a quiet place to become restored. “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest,” was a remedial invitation extended to us as well. Tired is temporary and part of our temporal existence on Planet Earth.
Extended sleep and repeated good nourishment was the therapeutic prescription for Elijah the prophet. He was exhausted mentally and physically after his confrontation and spiritual battle with the pagan prophets of Baal.
The Isaiah passage adds another layer beyond the feeling of tiredness—weariness. It is also a problem of the mind and attitude. We who are in our calendar-challenged years find ourselves not only prone to tire more easily but also inclined to become weary. Not exclusive to the aging process, it also afflicts the young. “Even the vigorous young men grow weary and tired and stumble badly.” It is a condition of the flagging spirit not the body. Weary is a protracted feeling not easily remedied, more inward and serious than being physically bushed or feeling wiped out in our “earth suit” body.
Of what can we become weary? According to Scripture, well-doing: Weary of discharging responsibilities given to us by the Lord or the anticipations of others or our own expectations. Weary of striving against sin. Weary of the length of the road of life. Weary of being under the chastening hand of God. Weary even of persevering in prayer.
Since God promises to give His strength to us in our weariness, it is His desire for us as His disciples to reach out and encourage others—“know how to sustain the weary one with a word,” (Isaiah 50:4). Second Corinthians 1:3,4 motivates us to comfort all in affliction just as God comforts us.
A short sprint may tire our body temporarily, but we can usually quickly recover. Plodding along faithfully shouldering our responsibilities with daily routines may make us weary in our spirit. The writer of Hebrews twice encourages us to keep “running with endurance,” “so when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36 and 12:1).
The journey through this pandemic is growing long and wearisome. But there is “a due time and appointed season” for it to be over. We will get through, we will move on to the changes that await us. Every trial has a conclusion. Now is the time to “run with endurance” because weariness may lead to a more serious heart problem—fainting. We may develop spiritual A-FIB, an irregular heart condition which Jesus diagnosed for the otherwise faithful believers at Ephesus. (Revelation 2:3,4) Fainting is losing consciousness. We must be careful not to lose the consciousness of the love of Christ and His concern for our struggles. He wants us to continue in our first love for Him even while we are “running with endurance.”
Am I simply physically tired? A remedy is to sleep it off. Are we weary of well-doing? Is no one around to applaud our good works or encourage us? Then we should get up and encourage ourselves in the Lord like King David did in the midst of a devastating calamity.
Galatians 6:9 puts it all in perspective. “Let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”
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