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Choosing Hope - iBelieve Truth - January 23, 2024
“Have you not heard? 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 gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:28-31
2020 turned out to be a difficult year of my life, a period I refer to as a “dark night of the soul.” As a child, I struggled with anxiety. But I learned coping strategies to keep my anxiety in control. But in 2020, work tensions, financial woes, and other factors resurrected that anxiety to a point where what used to be small bouts of fear became uncontrollable waves of panic. Lying in bed with my iWatch on one night, I watched in horror as the heart rate app measured my heart rate, and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. My resting heart rate registered numbers like 129, 139, and 140. These are rates within the heart attack range!
The anxiety got so bad I stopped functioning normally. After many months of counseling, she recommended I see a psychologist, and I knew I was at the end of myself. As I stared at the ceiling one night in my bed, thoughts raced through my head:
What is happening?
Is this really my life?
Who do I have to help me navigate through this tough season?
In those months, before my diagnosis, I had nothing. I lost all hope. Weary and exhausted in every way, I spent months crying out to God, hoping he’d save me from this pit of despair. All I got, however, was silence. I believed God had forgotten me.
The Israelites believed God had forgotten them, too. In verse 27 of Isaiah 40, we see the prophet Isaiah correct the people: “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?” They believed God didn’t see their plight. Wandering aimlessly, feeling like God had forgotten them, they became weary and without hope, too. But Isaiah reminds them of the nature of who God is: “He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
We all grow tired. Weariness is a part of life. We all will have moments when we get tired of this life. Stress, financial woes, and health concerns are just some of the things that can wear us down. This passage teaches us even young people get tired. From the new Christian to the seasoned veteran, we all experience fatigue. But it is our reaction to that weariness that allows us to demonstrate hope in God. Verse 29 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” The word “increases” here reminds us we are never powerless, but instead God gives us more power in our weakness. But the power comes through choice. We must choose hope. When we choose to hope in God, he gives us a renewed strength like never before, and with his power, we can do anything God wants us to do. In his strength, we will be able to persevere without weariness and he will open the doors to possibilities we never had believed possible.
What areas of your life do you need to choose hope? Choose to hope that God will provide for your financial needs. Choose to hope that God will renew your marriage or reconcile that past relationship. Choose to hope that God will heal that disease or convict your prodigal to come home. Whatever the situation, let us choose hope, instead of weariness. Let’s let God give us the strength we need so we can fly like eagles!
Father, help us choose our hope in you. Help us to remember that we are never powerless, but instead we can increase our power by putting our hope in you. Allow our testimony of your strength to be a light that shines on everyone around us. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/TanesNgamsom
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington, Andrea Bocelli, Reba McEntire, Mark Wahlberg, Tony Dungy, and Matthew McConaughey—what do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their stories of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
