“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.” (Isaiah 40:29-31, ESV)

In Isaiah 40, the prophet foresees God’s people returning to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile, weary and exhausted. Yet, he also sees the refreshing hand of God at work, in spite of – or perhaps because of – their exhaustion.

Human weariness on this long road of faith is something we must all acknowledge, along with our inability to cope. As long as we’re human, we will grow tired – regardless of age, because even “youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted” (Isaiah 40:30). If we don’t rest, we will burn out. It is that simple, and no one is exempt.

Unfortunately, many of us experience a strange guilt about needing and taking time to rest. We are driven by cultural, societal and moral duty to push ourselves beyond holy limits of exertion.

Some of us are further trapped in this cycle of exhaustion by believing the lie that our self-worth and identity are tied to what we do and how much we achieve.

As baby boomers, my peers and I believed that staying fervently active in ministry and Bible study, as well as joining countless late-night committee meetings, were signs of spiritual maturity and leadership. It took a while, but God finally brought me to the realisation that this is not quite true.

My relationship with God had become framed by a long checklist of things I thought I was doing for Him, while the quality of our actual relationship had deeply suffered. I felt squeezed by my many commitments, and in choosing them I had squeezed God out of my life without even noticing.

Our busyness, in reality, prevents us from coming into His Presence and focussing on Him.

Cultivating a discipline of rest

Remember that famous scene involving Mary, Martha and Jesus? While Mary sat at His feet listening, thrilled to be in His Presence, Martha was so distracted by household chores that she had no time for the Lord. For Jesus, that was what really mattered – time spent communing with Him. The psalmist says it beautifully in Psalm 62:1 (NIV): “My soul finds rest in God alone.”

When we are too busy doing things for God, we forget what God wants to do for us – to restore our souls and inspire a new vision for our lives and communities. If we are too busy to enjoy the radiance of His Presence, this is also in fact dishonouring, and even well-meaning and godly activity can quickly become an obstacle between God and us. 

Since rest is not something that “just happens”, we must mindfully make space for God and intentionally cultivate a discipline of rest.

This requires planning, preparation and discipline. Any successful athlete will tell you that. Likening our Christian journey to a race, Hebrews 12 tells us that we can only endure in this marathon of life by “looking unto Jesus”. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)

The implication of this imagery is clear. Our long, exhausting, high-pressured race requires both physical fitness on one hand, and structured times of rest and recovery on the other.

Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, open our eyes to our limitations and tiredness. Help us to rest today, and as we do, please divinely refresh us by the power of Your Loving Spirit.

We welcome Your Presence, wisdom and revelation in our lives. Teach us how to rest well so we can run our race better.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Ponder

1. Are there areas in your life or ministry which seem to make you feel tired?

2. Reflect on the words “they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength”. What might this look like?

3. What practical changes can you apply to make this verse a reality in your life?

This devotion was first published in “Dwell: An Invitation to Rest, Reflect and Renew” by Blue Mountain Kelong (www.bluemountainkelong.com), and is republished with permission. 

The devotional book, which includes 25 reflections on Creation, Hospitality, Rest and Mission by such Christian leaders as Dr Tan Lai Yong, Leow Wen Pin and Rev Dr Keith Lai, goes towards the mission of Blue Mountain Kelong Social Enterprise, which strives to awaken hope and transform lives through community development.

Books can be purchased at $12 here.

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How rested are you?