Isaiah 40: 29-31 (NIV)
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.

30  Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;

31  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.

Reflection:
During Lent this year, my girlfriends and I took turns sending out a different Bible verse each morning to each other. It was a way to stay connected during the beginning of the pandemic and a way to stay rooted in God’s word during such an important season for the church. The above Bible verse was sent one day during our Lenten exercise and it renewed my spirit at exactly the right moment.

When the pandemic started, it felt like being on a hamster wheel I couldn’t get off, and my spiritual journey was lacking in so many ways. Between navigating becoming a home school teacher, being isolated from friends, family, and the church, and the fear of what it all meant in the months to come, my prayer life had become almost non-existent. It felt like nothing would change. After reading this verse that morning, I suddenly felt my soul take a deep breath, and I knew God would give me the strength to forge ahead.

During this period in the Bible, the Jews were in captivity after Jerusalem had been captured by the Babylonians. Isaiah was sharing God’s message of hope to those who had grown tired and weary.

This scripture demonstrates the contrast between our own human weakness and God’s powerful strength. Through our human effort, we can see our limits and our possibilities. God gives power to the powerless by giving them renewed strength. We all have spiritual weakness throughout our lives and we cannot rely on our own power to get us through. The presence of God comes to us through other Christians, through studying God’s word, and through taking deep breaths and trusting that God will give us strength. It is then that we can soar like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint, because God is with us providing strength every step of the way.

Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, I am weary and saddened by the effects of the pandemic, daily racial injustices that I see in the news, and other daily struggles that are too many to list. Help me find strength in your promise of renewal when I am weary and use it to better your Kingdom. In your glorious name, I pray. Amen.