Sick and Tired (4) – Final

Renewable Energy

When we grow weary, we often fall into depression. It’s so easy to be negative and critical when you are tired, and at the same time feel defenceless and loose reasonable perspective. When you are exhausted, its so easy to feel sorry for yourself. You become like the man who had both an identity crisis and energy crisis. He didn’t know who he was, but was too tired to find out.

But what can we do about it? We need a renewable source of energy. We need to grow strong again.
Isaiah says: (Isa 40: 31) "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength: They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

"Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength." The contrast here is between the vulnerability of a weary person and the vigour of a waiting believer. We wait for the Lord because we trust him and walk by faith. Literally, the word for “wait” has the connotation of "to bind" or "to braid." The idea is to braid ourselves together with the Lord. To wait upon the Lord may be the Old Testament equivalent of faith in the New Testament. To wait on the Lord means that we seek his presence earnestly, while waiting patiently and expectantly for his answers.

The promise to those who wait upon the Lord, is that they shall renew their strength. The original word for “renew” means that the Lord shall "exchange" their weakness for his strength. As we draw nearer to God, waiting upon him expectantly in faith and trusting in him as our resource, he will impart his strength to us.

Paul expresses this same idea in 2 Corinthians 4:16 where he says, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." In Jesus Christ, our inner man can be renewed everyday as we effect our faith in him. And spiritual renewal makes it easier to truly rest emotionally and physically as well.

We must give top priority to our daily relationship of quietly being with the Lord, listening to him and submitting to his will and way with our lives. We cannot allow anything to rob us of this renewable spiritual energy. It is in these daily times of drawing upon God’s resources that we are given the strength to live for him. If we want to face our circumstances victoriously, we must spend time patiently waiting upon the Lord. This is how we receive his renewable strength.

Are you, here at the end of the year, in desperate need to renew your strength? Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Prayerfully ponder. Focus. Braid yourself with him.
And Christ will give you strength.