Discouraged? God gives strength to the weary.
Sean hurried towards the bus stop, it was very late, and the chances of him catching the last bus were getting slimmer.
He had had a tough day going about looking for a job. Sean would have gladly accepted any job, but no one offered him any. All those he had approached eyed him suspiciously and spoke to him harshly. Sean knew there was no food at home, his pregnant wife had lost her job 3 months earlier.
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Joy consistently stared out the window, hoping that luck had smiled on her husband. Joy’s hopes were quickly dashed as she beheld the sluggish appearance of her husband approaching her. One look at his demeanor and Joy burst into tears. They hadn’t had a good meal in days, Joy was discouraged and weary.
All the words of encouragement she often had for Sean seemed meaningless. Both of them wept and wallowed in self-pity. They were discouraged, tired of life’s struggles, and weary.
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Can the Weary and Discouraged Regain Their Strength?
Sometimes we are like Sean and Joy, weary and discouraged.
To be weary means to be exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness. In this case, weariness is of the mind not necessarily of the body.
It does not matter how we got to that state, what matters is that God gives strength to the weary.
Related: Bible Verses to Keep Hope Alive in Hard Times
Causes of Weariness
Many things can cause weariness but we will look at two of those causes in this post.
As you may have guessed, the weariness being referenced in this post is not that of the body but of the soul. Some people who were once fervent for the Lord have become cold because they got weary. The two causes of weariness of the soul we are looking at are deferred hope and feelings of despair.
Deferred Hope Causes Weariness
One cause of weariness is deferred hope. Just like the couple in the above story, anyone can become weary due to hope deferred.
Perhaps you have been trusting God for something and it does not seem forthcoming.
Maybe you have fasted and prayed, and gone to different mountains to seek God’s face. And you feel like you have done all within your power to catalyze your desired change. Yet, the answer seems delayed and it’s as if God has gone on vacation. This can cause weariness of the soul.
Scripture has rightly stated that; “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12a)
So, if your heart is sick due to deferred hope, know that you are not alone. Others have experienced the same thing and some are still experiencing it.
Check out this book by Sheila Walsh that talks about how to turn your struggles into strengths.
Biblical Example of a Weary Soul
One biblical example of someone who became weary and lost his strength was Job.
A mighty man of the east who feared God and eschewed evil (Job 1:1-3), how then did he become weary?
Satan obtained God’s permission to deal with Job so that he could prove to God that Job only loved his material possessions.
Job 1:8-12
Friend, is Satan dealing with you today? Know that God has vouched for you, He has boasted about your virtues. And, He can’t wait to restore to you everything that you have lost.
Friend, is Satan dealing with you today? Know that God has vouched for you as He did Job, He has boasted about your virtues. And He will restore you. #strengthtotheweary #BloggersTribe #BloggerLoveShare #teacupclub #bloggershutRT Click To TweetThat was the case with Job. Was it easy? No. In fact, it was so tough that Job’s wife encouraged him to curse God and die!
As if that was not enough, Job’s friends equally judged him in their minds and pronounced him guilty of sin.
If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. (Job 8:6)
Have your loved ones looked at you and concluded like Job’s friends that you must have sinned? Has that compounded your feelings of weariness and worthlessness and brought you to the verge of giving up? Don’t!
Job’s friends concluded that he was unrighteous and that they were better than him. They reasoned that it must be why God allowed Job to suffer. But in the end, God vindicated Job.
I pray for you today that God will arise for you and vindicate you as He did for Job. He will restore all that you have lost in Jesus name. Amen.
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Feelings of Despair can Cause Weariness
Another cause of weariness is having feelings of despair. To despair means to lose all hope that your expectations will be met or that the situation will improve.
Anyone at this stage may no longer have a desire to pray or seek God or fellowship with His people.
In a previous post, I wrote about practical ways to overcome discouragement, be sure to read it if you have not already done so.
Peradventure you’ve looked around and it’s like your situation is peculiar and unprecedented.
It’s as if you are the only one going through that challenge. Don’t despair, remember Elijah? He felt that way too.
He looked all around Him and discovered he was surrounded by persecutors.
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (1Ki 19:14)
Persecutors who had killed several prophets and were after him as well, and he despaired for his life.
He despaired so much that he sought death. What an irony! He went into hiding, God protected him and kept him alive, yet he demanded to die!
The main reason he despaired for his life was that he thought he was the only prophet left alive. But, God told him in vs 18 that He has 7,000 righteous men left in Israel.
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1Ki 19:18)
Therefore, do not believe the enemy’s lies that you are alone in your situation. You are not alone, and the devil is not winning the battle over your life, though he wants you to think otherwise.
Therefore, be strong in the Lord.
Encouragement in the Wilderness: A Daily Devotional for Days of Discouragement, Depression, and Despair
God Gives Strength to the Weary
God gives strength to the weary, no matter who they are. The only qualifying condition is for the weary person to be willing to wait on Him.
29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who has no might He increases power.
30 Even youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:29–31 Amp)
When you wait for and put your hope in God, you will regain your strength. Therefore, I encourage you to look away from your struggles and focus on God. And as you do this your strength will be renewed.
When you wait for and put your hope in God, you will regain your strength. Therefore, I encourage you to look away from your struggles and focus on God. And as you do this your strength will be renewed. #bloggershutRT #teacupclub… Click To TweetConclusion
In this post, we have examined two causes of weariness; hope deferred and despair. And we have seen anyone can become weary.
We have also seen that sometimes, weariness can be due to satanic operations and attacks.
Therefore, we must be vigilant to resist him steadfastly through our faith.
Similarly, we have seen that God sometimes allows trials to come our way in order to prove us and showcase us to the world.
Lastly, God is with us in every trial.
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Till I come your way again, always remember you are a Royal Diadem, Beautiful in God’s Hands.
You may also like Bible Verses to Overcome Discouragement
Thanks for the post, it is really encouraging.
Thanks David.
Such a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing all these lovely truths from the Bible, and for helping us know when we have reached that point of weariness.
Hi Becca,
First, please accept my apologies for responding late and I do appreciate your comment.
I’m glad you liked the post.
I appreciated your breakdown of “waiting” on God, to expect, look for, and hope! That is really helpful for reflection, thank you!
Thanks Denae!
Wow! This is an amazing post. Thank you for sharing beautiful truths for us.
Thanks Julia.
Beautiful article for those who needed, they can get actual guidance from this post. It deserves more attention!
Hey Chris! Thank you.
Such a beautiful and meaningful post. Very inspiring.
Nyxie
Thanks Nyxie!
I enjoyed this post. Thanks for the great read!
You’re welcome Trent.
God and the universe have given me strength to get through the hardest times in my life, thank you for this beautiful reminder to be ever so grateful.
God is indeed the source of our strength.
Such a great post! Thank you for sharing this encouragement today! 😊
I’m blessed to have you Holly.
Thank You for the blessing in this post. A fave bible chapter for me is Job – many encouragements in this one.
Thank you Deborah. I also love the story of Job.
What a great encouragement and powerful reminder to shift our focus to God as the source of all strength and wisdom and allow Him to renew our hopes and strengthen us! Thank you!
You’re blessed Hadassah!
Indeed there’s strength for the weary at Jesus’ feet.
Such an encouraging post. It’s so easy to feel alone and give up hope, thank you for reminding us that we are not alone and God is with us despite what the enemy may be whispering.
Giving up hope is not an option because so long as there is life, our story can change for the better and the weary can regain strength. That is why the bible says there is more hope for a living dog than a dead lion. (Ecclesiastes 9:4)
A living dog can receive help and have a new beginning but a dead lion can’t. As long as we are alive, let’s keep hope alive.
Sometimes life is too harsh for us to deal with. Thank God he is willing to help us.
Yes, life can be harsh sometimes. But we can draw strength from the God of all comfort and remember that He told us to rejoice because He has overcome the world. I believe our pain won’t last for eternity, we just have to endure and keep trusting him like the men and women of faith who trusted God until their change came.
Men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Women like Esther, Ruth, and Naomi to mention a few.
Nice post,it did empower me. God bless you.
That is good to know Peter, whatever your situation is, God will give you the strength to overcome in Jesus name.
Rest assured that our light afflictions which is but for a moment works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
I love the simplicity and yet profound nature of your writing. God bless and strengthen you.
Amen and thank you Adwoa. God bless you too.