Weary

I’m worn

You've exposed my vulnerability.

Withholding from me,

removing viability.

And taking from me,

grasping is futility.

You ask too much of me,

beyond my ability.

Frail and weary,

I can feel my fragility.

Weariness is a state of being that I all too easily succumb to. Knowing that my bent is towards discouragement and wanting to give up, one of the most bolstering passages of scripture for me is Isaiah 40:28-31:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 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.”  

What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord?

This passage (Isaiah 40:28-31) is a reminder that no matter what we face, we can soar on wings like eagles if we wait on the Lord. But what does waiting on the Lord look like? What exactly does it require of us?

• Is it a denial of our emotions, where we wear a smile on our face and proclaim our Christian mantra, "I just gotta have faith"?

  
  

• Is it okay to feel our authentic feelings and cry tears of frustration?

  
  

• Can we mourn the loss of a dream, a child, or a marriage in realness to God while simultaneously waiting on Him?

  
  

• Is the process of feeling our feelings automatically a disqualification of deep, authentic faith?

  
  

• Does God give us permission and encouragement to hold grief and mourning with hope and joy?

  
  

By focusing so much on the faith we should  have, are we just creating a facade? Are we, at our core, internally striving in our own power to adopt a strength and confidence we do not feel and do not know how to receive?

So, what does it mean to wait on the Lord? It may look different for everyone. When God meets us where we are, with all that we hold in our hearts, we can lay our burdens down before Him in prayer and wait for Him to lead us. Prayer, is just one act of being still, so that we can listen for God's voice and wait for him to show us that He is God. Waiting on God is surrendering to Him, acknowledging where we are internally, what has been revealed to us about who God is in His word, and being led by the truth of scripture that comes from the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

The Roots of Weariness: Biblical Parallels

What are some potential roots of weariness? Can some of the roots of weariness be compassion fatigue, disobedience, constant trials in life, busyness, trauma wounds, or maybe discontentment? Below are some questions that may resonate with you when we examine the lives of people whose stories were shared in the Bible:

• Are you weary of being the one who does all the work as others lounge around enjoying what you do for them, like Martha (Luke 10:40)?  

  
  

• Or maybe you are weary from holding something up that God has given you to hold, like Moses

  (Exodus 17)?  

  
  

• Are you feeling weariness from years of disgrace and shame, like Hannah endured? Shockingly, we learn that it is God who allows this shame to hang over her, for He is the one who withheld a child from her.  

  
  

• Maybe you are weary because you’ve lost something dear to you?

  
  

Take in the weariness of the woman at the well. What had been hers was taken from her five times over. God, did you allow this to be removed from her so many times because You wanted her to see that the permanence of stability only comes from You? Or was this a consequence of her own actions? Was God teaching her to thirst for the only thing that satisfies—His living water?

What makes you weary? I can’t help but want to cry out, "God, in Your goodness, why do You allow so much heartache and pain? Why do You hold back good things from those who are faithful to You? Why do You lead us to these places we'd rather not go, giving this liability to us when it goes beyond what we can handle? "

As I'm forced to rely on You instead of myself, at the end of it all, can I remain in Your surpassing goodness? Is it worth the cost to me, knowing that You are being glorified amid my pain and suffering? That I will cling to Your promise of renewed strength, that You will lift me through this?  

Drawing Strength in Our Realness

As God has led me through seasons of weariness and pain, I recognize that had I not endured them, I would never have learned to rely on God's strength over my own.   

My moments of authentically waiting on the Lord most often resemble the pouring out of my heart and worries at God’s throne of grace, as seen in Hannah's life in 1 Samuel 1:15. Never am I condemned by bringing my realness, my doubts, my worry, or my pain before Him. Coming to Him just as I am is where I find comfort, encouragement, and solace. It is where I draw my strength from and where I learn to wait on Him.  

Key Takeaway: True spiritual strength isn't found in masking our pain behind a forced smile or striving in our own power. Instead, waiting on the Lord invites us to bring our raw, authentic weariness directly to His throne—resting in the profound truth that His grace meets us precisely at the point of our deepest fragility.

As you navigate your own seasons of weariness and quiet struggles, I encourage you to pause, search your heart, and surrender those heavy burdens to God and His will today. You were never meant to carry them alone or manufacture your own strength. Take time to sit in quiet communion with Him, bringing your raw, unfiltered self to His throne of grace where you are fully known and deeply loved. To help you on your way, use the following reflection journal sheet to get started today. Also, be sure to check out our podcasts on Weariness.