“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”” Jeremiah 31:25 NIV


“Tired eyes don’t see a bright future.”
I once heard that phrase at a conference and it has challenged me so much. It’s simple, but it punches me right in the face.

Far too often, I am tired. Who isn’t??

I may not always be physically tired. Sometimes I am parentally drained, emotionally exhausted and there are those times I even find myself spiritually groggy.

No matter the “tired” we are facing, the quote fits because when I am tired in any of those areas, I am not looking at a bright future. Typically I’m not looking to the future at all because I’m simply trying to survive my day-to-day.

This quote gets to me because I know it to be true. I see the accuracy in my crazy, busy, wonderfully exhausting life. I know for me personally, when fatigue walks in, faith walks out. I become negative about things in my life and I stop seeing my life through the lense of opportunity. I start viewing through the thoughts of, “another thing sucking my life away.” When I am tired, mountains looks higher and valleys look lower and the distance between the two always seems impossible.

The Bible teaches us that it is not just us. According to Isaiah 40, everyone (“even youths“) grows tired and weary. The question is, what do we do in those times? Perhaps you find yourself in a tired and weary season. Maybe it’s your busy schedule that is keeping you perpetually exhausted. It could be the stress of providing and caring for your family or, it could even be, the sacrificial act of fasting that has you tired today. If you look in the mirror on your wall, or even more telling, the mirror to your soul - are tired eyes reflecting back? If so, let me encourage you to find rest. A nap may not be optional rest for you at this moment, but you can always find rest in God.

Rest in the knowledge that He loves you. Rest in knowing that He is with you.
Rest in knowing He will sustain you.

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV

God, thank You that through my seasons of busyness, through my times of tiredness and through my restless states of life, You are there. You see me and You are very aware of the deep depths of exhaustion that I often times find myself swimming through. I pray that I would not only feel the comfort of Your presence but that I would choose to find rest in You. Father, help me not look through tired eyes, but God, I pray that You would help me look to a bright future found in Your plans for my life. Continue to give me strength to do Your will and rest that will help me recognize Your ways.