Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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. Isa. 40:30-31
I take comfort in the fact that God knows our breaking point. He knows when our circumstances are overwhelming. He sees every tear we cry, every sigh, every frustration, every mistake, every tired thing. He doesn’t exactly make our challenges disappear like smoke before our eyes; neither does He make things remarkably easy for us. What He does is quite the opposite. He allows us to struggle in our difficult situations, but gives us the strength necessary to overcome them and be victorious.
An eagle is a majestic bird. It soars high up in the sky. From its vantage point, it can see much more happening on the ground than if it were simply perched on a tree. There is strength in its wings. There is speed. As it looks below, there is sharpness in its perspective.
Whenever we look to God, something happens. Our eyes that see life as tiring, heavy, hard, and difficult begin to receive a fresh new perspective: God’s perspective. We realize that wrapped in every challenge or difficult event in our lives is a promise; a gift– something that God is doing in our hearts and lives. The Maker of the Universe fills us with His strength; fills us with Him. We remember again that life is about Him—loving Him, enjoying His presence. We smile. He’s bigger than our challenges; bigger than our exhaustion; bigger than life. God’s joy is our strength. We continue on. Our faint and tired hearts become valiant.
Our journey will always bring us to the point of weariness. Weariness is not reserved for old people; it is reserved for every human being who walks on planet earth! It’s a good thing we can always go to God. He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” He offers us an important exchange. We need this exchange.
In our journey of life, let’s not forget to rest. We can look to the Lord and renew our strength and sharpen our perspective. We can fly like eagles. We can overcome.
Janina Marie Rivera is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine, a teacher of world literature, and a student of the Bible. She enjoys reflecting on life’s curve balls and plateaus. She resides in the Philippines, the country known for people who smile a lot.
