NIV Isaiah 40:30-31
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and
fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
What a beautiful promise.
What stands out is this contrast: On one hand, weariness is certain. On the other hand, renewal is promised
This promise is for every person in every season, whether studying for school, working, parenting young or
older children, juggling various work and family commitments, caring for
elderly parents, drawing close to retirement, or beyond - it reminds us that God's strength is available
to us all.
I read a great sermon by Alexander Maclaren that I will reference a
few times. Alexander notes that Isaiah points to the certainty of
weariness and decay in this verse.
We will all inevitably face:
- exhaustion
- responsibilities
- sorrows
- burdens
- aging
Can anyone relate to feeling tired? Overwhelmed?
Stretched beyond capacity? Recognizing the limitations of aging?
We are all in
different seasons… we all know what it is to be tired and weary…We have this in
common: our humanity ensures our limitations. Even Jesus became weary in his
humanity. But then comes that powerful word: “BUT “we will renew our
strength.
How do we get that renewal? By trusting in the Lord, which can be explained as an expectant dependence on Him.
My Story
I've been a Christian for most of my life. I grew up in a
Christian family and felt God reveal Himself to me from an early age. I have
always felt His loving, tender hand in my life. What a gift that is! Of course,
I went through ‘stuff,’ and it wasn't easy, but I never knew what the Psalmist,
David, meant when he said, ‘though I walk through the darkest valley,’ until
the last few years. I came to a place where I could truly identify with what
the apostle Paul describes as “troubles far beyond our ability to endure” in 2
Corinthians 1:8. The valley of the shadow of death became a real place to me,
one I walked in almost daily—the dark, cold, frightening gorge. I felt
oppressive darkness like I had never before, and I heard the roar of the enemy.
It has been deep, overwhelming, and agonizing. The trauma of household chaos,
aggression, and explosions at any given moment has been part of my valley.
My husband and I are privileged to be parents of four
beautiful children. They are, of course, all unique with different strengths
and talents. They are each a God-given blessing. What I am going to share today
is my story as a mom, and it isn't a reflection on my family’s character
or who God fearfully and wonderfully made them to be. This is the story of how
various challenges have affected me, and how I have leaned on God's promises
and found strength in His presence. My story continues. I'm still in the
trenches and still have to allow God to walk me through very intense moments,
days, and weeks, trusting that His grace is sufficient.
In the early years of having my kids, I began to think I
just wasn't cut out to be a mom. Clearly, I was getting it all wrong and felt
terrible for wanting to run away a lot. I battled with pre- and postnatal
depression in most of my pregnancies. The days felt long, intense, and
chaotic—filled with noise, conflict, and emotional intensity. I often felt like
I was simply trying to make it through the day. I remember sitting on the
kitchen floor, staring at the car, wishing I could drive away.
Over time, we were dealing with multiple explosive meltdowns
a day, and the chaos felt relentless. I didn’t understand what was happening
and assumed it was our parenting. I homeschooled for a couple of years,
thinking that if I spent more time with them, then things would get better. I
have great respect for homeschoolers, but for me, it was an incredibly
difficult period where I saw no signs of improvement in behavior and had little
to no break from it. The chaos was like a hurricane.
As the explosions and difficulties with daily functioning
became more apparent, I began to wonder, during the year they went back to
school, if more was going on. Maybe we as parents weren't entirely at fault.
Maybe it wasn't their fault either. Maybe there were brain differences I wasn't
aware of. There began the journey of discovering the truth about what was going
on. Over the course of one year, we found answers and diagnoses for three of
the kids. That year was particularly tough; it felt like one blow after
another. No matter how much you expect a diagnosis, nothing prepares you for getting
it. Or when you're not expecting it and it comes anyway. I had both
experiences. It is a journey of grief. Not because your child is less special
or you see them differently, but you grieve your unmet expectations and the
limitations and challenges you can foresee.
The challenges kept coming, and they were fierce. Day after
day, the challenges were piled on us. The physical, mental, and emotional
strain was at times unbearable. There were times I ended up in the fetal
position, weeping before God. Eventually, I became emotionally detached—like I
was watching my life from the outside, unable to keep up.
It can feel like a lonely journey. With what we were dealing
with, I honestly didn’t know anyone else going through it. It was something we
battled quietly. I would turn up to pick the kids up from school and feel like
I was bleeding everywhere because of the pain I was feeling, and no one
knew.
Seeking professional help and resources was far more
challenging than I anticipated. I was given many different strategies—often
conflicting—and trying to implement them left me feeling frustrated and
defeated. Even very well-meaning people offer advice that can be hard to hear
when you feel you have tried everything. I often felt embarrassed and judged. If
you haven’t lived it, you really don’t understand how complex it is.
I started to live in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety,
not knowing what would happen next. I became hyper-alert and battled depression
to the point where I was struggling to function. If you’ve lived in an intense
caregiving role like this, you understand the trauma and stress it brings. I
don’t use the word ‘trauma’ lightly; at one point, I felt I was becoming a
shadow of what I was. I did seek medical help for myself because I wasn’t doing
well at several points in this journey. The reason I share this is that, even
though we know God sustains us, there is no shame in seeking medical help and
advice when needed, especially when your brain chemicals are out of balance. I
think as Christians, we need to move away from the stigma of mental health and
seeking medical help.
I can say that if I didn’t know Jesus, I don’t know where I
would be or what state I would be in. God promises a divine exchange in our
verse for today. I can testify to this exchange—God has given me strength to
endure when I had none left. The presence of struggle doesn’t mean He isn’t
carrying us.
Rooted in Truth:
So how do we actually live in dependence on God?
“You will never cope with the demands of life in the Kingdom
of God unless you are being recharged through prayer and listening to him.”
Alexander Maclaren
a) God’s Word –
Being a daily Bible reader has
strengthened my faith during this time. The disciplines of reading, meditating,
and studying His Word are among the most essential things for a Christian to practice.
Ps 119: 105 “ Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Even when
I didn’t feel strong—His Word held me steady
b)
Prayer
We need to follow Jesus’ example of having a dedicated prayer life. Luke
5:16 “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” No one was more
powerful in ministry and had more demands on His time than Jesus, and He shows
us how essential prayer is. Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated. We have
times of intense prayer, but sometimes mine sounds like: “Help me.” And in
those moments, I began to sense His presence more deeply.
c)
Fellowship with other believers
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The Bible is clear that we regularly need to meet with one another, especially in the context of the church, being the Body of Christ. God often strengthens us through His people. The people of God have given me so much encouragement, and worshipping with other believers has been a lifeline for me.
Restored by Grace:
1 Peter 5:10 “And the
God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm,
and steadfast.”
He restores our strength to run.
Alexander Maclaren describes this running strength to be
‘power waiting in great crisis which calls for special, though brief exertion.”
Also, power for ‘great tasks that are put on you requiring all your power.” He
encourages us to wait on God so that when great difficulty comes, nothing is
too hard.
Often in the chaotic moments at home, it feels like things
are spinning out of control. The energy that is needed to restore some sense of
order and peace is immense. Yet, I can truthfully say, I’ve been given it.
Things that have helped me in very intense moments and
anxiety strikes:
·
Deep breathing with quick “help me” prayers
• Holding a sensory tool while reciting Scripture
• Repeating truth: “Jesus is with me.”
• Practicing gratitude
• Using short Scripture-based apps
• Lament—pouring everything out to God
·
Sending a text to my husband or a friend asking
them to pray.
He restores our strength to walk.
Alexander Maclaren sees this as ‘patient power for
persistent pursuit of weary monotonous duty” and to be “steady in unexciting
work”.
We can all relate to doing unexciting, mundane work!
When I became a mom, I realized how much of life is made up of repetitive,
often overwhelming tasks—meals, laundry, cleaning, routines. 1 Cor 10:31 says “So whether you eat or drink,
do it for the glory of God.”
Our house is a constant mess; it requires a lot of upkeep. I
find it quite overwhelming. Things that have helped me through the dreary tasks:
·
Playing worship music
·
Repeating a verse over in my head
·
Praying
·
When it gets really overwhelming, I try to pop
to what I call my ‘gas station’ (my bedroom or even the bathroom) for a few
minutes of solitude to breathe deeply and pray.
Rising in Hope
God gives us the strength to soar.
Alexander Maclaren describes this promise as the ability to
rise above sorrows, sins, cares, and exchange burnout for buoyant motion high
up in communion with God. This is about rising above our circumstances, not
escaping them—but seeing them differently. Matthew Henry says we are carried
above difficulty to lay hold of Jesus’ calling. We can have an inexhaustible
strength—full of energy, hope, and endurance.
We should also have an eternal perspective. We set our
affections on things above and have the power to bring heaven into our grasp.
Our hearts and hope should be in heaven. Col 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been
raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at
the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
I think the more trials and difficulties we experience, the more hope we have
in heaven. It doesn’t mean feeling suicidal, but we see that there is great
hope in being in God’s glorious, eternal presence.
Though we are all aging, we can be encouraged that we are
partakers of Jesus’ immortality and strength. Alexander Maclaren says that in
the heart of our decaying nature is planted the seeds of an immortal being. Isn’t
that amazing!
I have felt this hope
planted deep in my soul. I believe God has filled me with His Holy Spirit,
which has helped me feel a joy that has been an undercurrent in the
difficulties. I feel God has convinced me that He doesn’t waste suffering and
will use each one for good.
I’ve also experienced
a rest that can only come from God, which has increased my hope. As much as I
have felt the valley, I have also experienced the comfort of his rod and staff.
That’s, I'd say, as acute as the valley.
There are no words to describe the beauty of God's comfort. I have felt
it in the way of an unexpected moment to breathe, a friend texting out of the
blue with encouragement, the Holy Spirit speaking into my soul with a verse or
a word of knowledge, a wave of peace when crying out to God, and the practical
help from our community, and of course the wonderful support of my husband who
also walks this path with me.
I feel a lot of hope for my family and me. There have been
many victories along the way. I can see the kids are gaining a better
understanding of God and who He is to them. Their greatest challenges
will be their greatest testimony, and they will be able to help many others.
Though I know there will always be challenges, I celebrate each victory, no
matter how small it is, and there is great value in each precious child who
possesses the very image of God.
Conclusion
If there’s one thing to take away, it’s this:
God doesn’t promise we won’t be weary—but He offers a divine exchange: our
weakness for His strength.
So whatever season you’re in—whether you feel strong or
completely exhausted—hold onto this truth:
When you depend on Him, He will renew your strength.
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a powerful analogy that our pastor gave in his sermon on Isaiah 40: this divine exchange is like walking on a
moving sidewalk (like those at an airport). When we walk in the Spirit, He
comes underneath us and bears us along. Sometimes it feels like we’re barely
walking—but even then, He is carrying us forward.
