Washed Out — A LifeWords Devotion

Life circumstances can cause us to feel all washed out. Weary and worn and sad. It may not be just one crisis that brings this about. It may just be ongoing frustrations and anxieties. Feeling the joy of the Lord and serving him with boundless enthusiasm are things that for a while at least belong to another world, another reality.

Our text today reminds us that the biblical writers knew about this. Life can throw enough at us so that even the otherwise young and healthy get all washed out. We are not able to pull ourselves up by our bootlaces or sustain superhuman strength in the long haul. And fatigue is not the same as tiredness. A short holiday, a good night’s sleep, a change in diet, can ease our tiredness. But fatigue is much deeper and not be so easily resolved.

We need help, and that help has to come from outside. It is our inexhaustible God who provides the help. It is a mistake to think that this help causes us to avoid our wearying life situations. The idea of soaring on eagles’ wings doesn’t mean flying high above the fluctuations of life. The imagery refers to the eagle’s ability to tilt its wings in such a way as to fly through whatever currents present themselves.

God’s help comes not in the form of escape from pressure but in the form of sustenance in the midst of that pressure. Or to put it another way: feeling a bit washed out doesn’t mean we need to be all washed up.

Blessings,

David