Exhaustion Has Set In

It’s funny, the things we remember from childhood. My parents had a knitted blanket they hung on our living room wall. It was a picture of an eagle flying over a mountain with these words, “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Needless to say, I have had Isaiah 40:31 memorized since early childhood, and what a great verse to have memorized throughout your entire life.

As an adult, I’m exhausted more than I ever thought I would be. The everyday strain is enough, but you add on two preteens, two dogs (one is a puppy by the way), extended family situations that are stressful, career obligations, financial responsibilities, and running a full-time taxi service as I run kids around and you’ve got yourself one exhausted woman. Your strains may not look just like mine, but I can guarantee you are just as busy as me. Life is busy and exhaustion is sure to set in. That’s why these verses are so relatable.

Chapter forty of Isaiah begins a shift in the book. The beginning of the book is all about Isaiah questioning God and wondering where He is. Israel is living a life of captivity and Isaiah is looking for hope in the future. He’s looking for God to restore His people and their homeland. Well, it all begins in this chapter discussing the majesty of God.

I love how Isaiah 40:28 starts this section out. It says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard?” God is saying to him, “I know you know me. You know me and you have heard my great deeds.” He’s adding humor into a very difficult time for Isaiah. God may be adding humor, but He is also very serious. He goes on to say to Isaiah, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” He is reiterating the fact of who He is. Nothing is too big or too small for Him to handle. The Lord has everything under His power.

Then God goes on to tell Isaiah that He gives strength and power to the weary, weak, and downtrodden. It is only through Him that Isaiah and his fellow people will get through their struggle.

Isaiah is truly exhausted, and God acknowledges this. He says that even children and young men get exhaustion. If even those who we consider having the most energy of anyone on the planet grows weary and stumble, it is bound to happen to us. God knows this will happen and guess what, He’s on the ready for it! He is the sustainer of all life, energy, peace, and joy. We may grow weary and stumble here on earth, but when we place our hope in Him, we gain strength we could never fathom. Chapter forty ends with God telling Isaiah that when he places his hope in Him he will soar on wing like eagles, will run and not grow weary, and will walk and not be faint. That is unfathomable strength in my opinion.

No matter what burdens we are carrying around and giving power to exhaust us, we can trust that God has full control of every one of them. We can place our hope in that and gain strength from knowing He is working a way through the chaos of our lives. We do know Him, and we have heard of His mighty power. We are blessed with that same power through the Holy Spirit. When we come to the feet of Jesus and recognize that His power lives in us, we will feel the strength He places in us.

I placed a small sticky note on my calendar today that says, “I can do it!” I can do it, not through my own strength but because God gives me the strength to overcome all obstacles. He gives me the joy to be optimistic as I go through them, and He loves me even when I stumble because I try to take the control again. He loves me, and He loves you. We can do this together!

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“I love you, Lord, my strength.” Psalms 18:1

Digging Deeper:

List what is exhausting you on a piece of paper. Commit today to give them all to the Lord.

What makes you fall into the pit of repeated exhaustion?

How can you rely on the Lord every day to give you strength that only comes from Him?