I’m Tired

Divine Inspirations | by Dee Davis

Focus scripture: Isaiah 40:12–31

Key verse:

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”

— Isaiah 40:29 NLT

There are days when life does not wait for us to catch our breath.

Responsibilities still need our attention. People still need something from us. Schedules still have to be managed. Families still need to be cared for.

Decisions still have to be made. And somehow, we keep adjusting to the demands of life—even when there doesn’t seem to be much left in us to give.

Then the words begin forming in our minds before they ever leave our mouths:

I’m tired.

Sometimes those words describe a solitary moment.

Other times, they seem to cover a lifelong journey.

We can become tired from carrying responsibilities. Tired from waiting. Tired from trying to make relationships work. Tired from being misunderstood. Tired from being hurt or discouraged by the very people we work with, live with, serve with, or even worship with.

Acceptance isn’t how we hoped it would be.

Access isn’t what we expected.

Relationships don’t look the way we imagined.

And even after prayer, introspection, and doing our best to keep moving forward, there are times when we simply cannot seem to rise above it all.

We push.

And push.

And push.

Until sometimes we have allowed life, people, places, and things to become greater in our perspective than God.

And perhaps that is why Isaiah 40 is so powerful.

Look Again at Who God Is

Before Isaiah tells us what God will do for the weary, he reminds us who God is.

He measures the waters in the hollow of His hand.

He weighs the mountains.

The nations are small before Him.

Even rulers and people in positions of authority are limited before Him.

Leadership matters. Authority matters. God establishes order and expects us to honor it. But no human authority is independent of God, and no person carries unlimited power.

Only God does.

Then Isaiah tells us to look toward the heavens.

God created the stars and calls each one by name. Not one of them is missing because of His great power.

And that thought stops me.

God knows every star… so how can I think He does not know when I am weary?

If God can sustain the enormous order of His creation, surely He can sustain a life that feels disorganized, discouraged, depleted, or unseen.

Woman of God, He sees you.

He knows what you have been carrying.

He knows how long you have been carrying it.

And He knows when you are tired.

God Has Strength to Give

Then we reach verse 29:

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”

Whew.

Notice that God does not condemn the weary for being weary.

He gives.

God is not just strong for Himself!

He shares His strength with those who are mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.

That means I do not have to pretend that I have strength I don’t have.

Everyone has limits.

Young people have limits.

Older people have limits.

Parents have limits.

Caregivers have limits.

And yes—even leaders have limits.

Being strong for other people does not make us limitless.

Eventually, all of us come to the place where our own strength cannot carry us any farther.

And perhaps that is not always a bad place to be, because our limitations remind us of our need for a God whose strength never runs out.

What Does It Mean to Wait?

Isaiah continues:

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.”

— Isaiah 40:31 NLT

Waiting on the Lord does not mean doing nothing.

It does not mean sitting around hoping circumstances eventually get better.

It does not mean waiting for people to finally give us the response, acceptance, access, apology, or relationship we wanted.

Waiting means I continue to remain obedient and do what is right while trusting God’s character, His all-knowing power, His timing, and His help.

Waiting says:

Lord, I don’t understand, but I trust You.

I can’t do this anymore, so I give it to You.

I will deal with one day at a time because You already know my future.

I will not let delay convince me that You have abandoned me.

That is waiting.

It is trusting God enough to keep placing the weight back into His hands whenever we discover that we have picked it up again.

Sometimes Strength Looks Like Walking

Isaiah gives us such a beautiful picture of renewed strength:

“They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

— Isaiah 40:31 NLT

Sometimes the strength God gives comes with a mighty force to soar.

Sometimes strength comes as a burst energy to run.

And sometimes, the strength He gives is just enough to keep walking.

And I think we need to honor the walking.

Because walking may not look spectacular.

It may not feel powerful. Nobody may applaud it or even realize how much strength it took for you to take that next step.

Sometimes walking looks like simply getting out of bed and facing another day.

Sometimes it is praying again when you don’t have many words left.

It is making the phone call.

Caring for your family.

Showing up for the responsibility in front of you.

Resisting the temptation to fall back into despair.

Choosing not to allow someone else’s behavior to determine yours.

It is taking one faithful step at a time.

Woman of God, perhaps you are not soaring right now.

Maybe you don’t have the strength to run.

But you are still walking.

And the same God who gives strength to soar is the God who gives strength for the next step.

You do not have to manufacture what you don’t have.

You do not have to pretend that you aren’t tired.

And you do not have to be ashamed to admit that you have reached your limit.

Bring your weariness to the One who has no limits.

Because when you say, “Lord, I’m tired,” you are speaking to the God who never grows tired or weary.

And He has strength to give.

One Gentle Step

Today, identify one thing you have been trying to carry in your own strength.

Give it back to God.

You do not have to figure out tomorrow today.

Ask Him for the strength you need for this step, this responsibility, this decision, this day.

And if all you can do today is walk—

Walk with God.

That is still forward.

Prayer

Father, I’m tired.

You know the places where I am weary even when I cannot find the words to explain them. Forgive me for the times I have allowed people, circumstances, disappointments, and delays to become greater in my perspective than You.

Help me to look again at who You are.

You are the everlasting God. You do not faint. You do not grow weary. Your understanding is beyond anything I can comprehend.

So today, I bring You what I can no longer carry.

Give me strength where I am weak. Renew my mind, steady my emotions, and help me to trust You with what I cannot control.

If You give me strength to soar, I will soar.

If You give me strength to run, I will run.

And if today You give me just enough strength to take the next step, I will walk with You.

I trust You with today.

And I trust You with what comes next.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Stay encouraged and be blessed.