Sometimes we just have to rest in the Lord’s strength
Most of us are pretty good at staying busy. We focus on the millions of things that need to get done and forget that our strength comes from God until we find ourselves dragging. We begin to feel edgy and start to lose patience. Everything starts to feel like work, even time with family or things we usually enjoy. God tells us to cast our cares to Him, but we tend to carry all of our burdens ourselves, which causes us to become weary and discouraged.
We aren’t supposed to do things using sheer willpower. Sooner or later, we will just lose steam. Tonight, I have lost steam. The tears are on the brink of falling, and I just want to curl up under my blankets. Things feel too overwhelming and complicated. I am clearly doing things in my own strength and need to place my concerns at the foot of the cross.
Instead of just sleeping, I decided to spend time reading the Bible and praying. Scripture reminds us of how big God is, and how relentless His love is towards us. When you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, look up. God is still holding tight. He won’t let you come crashing down. He is your Father, and He loves you dearly.
Here are five comforting verses for those times when you feel weak and weary:
1. “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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” —2 Corinthians 12:9-10
2. “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.” —Isaiah 40:31
3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” —2 Corinthians 1:3-5
4. “A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” —Psalm 121:1-8
5. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” —Romans 8:31-37
