By David ReayMonday 9 Aug 2021LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (NLT)
There is a difference between tiredness and fatigue. Tiredness can be fixed with restful sleep or a holiday. Fatigue is not like that. Fatigue is heavier and not so easily resolved. A good night’s sleep or a beachside holiday does not fix fatigue.
Because fatigue is more than just a depletion of physical strength and energy. It is a straining of emotional resources to deal with life circumstances. It is not just a tired body, it is a weary and despondent mind, a grey shadow over the emotions.
Our text seems to promise some relief from both tiredness and fatigue. It is important to remember God uses counsellors, doctors, friends, holidays, sleep to renew our strength. Fatigue in particular does not disappear overnight, but it seems we can be given strength to cope with it.
Those with expertise on eagles tell us that when faced with stormy weather, eagles tilt their wings to better handle the buffeting and so get through. The point of soaring on eagles’ wings is not that we rise high above that which wearies or threatens us, but that we are given the strength to get through them. We may not immediately conquer fatigue, but we can be assured fatigue will not ultimately conquer us.
Blessings
David