“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 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 40:28-31

As I write this post, we’re three days into our school year, and wow. I am tired. (As I post this, we’re a week and a half in… and I’m still tired.)

The year is off to a pretty good start, given the circumstances. And I’m so thankful to have kiddos back in our classroom. Still, I’m tired. The first few weeks are always a lot, for teachers and staff and students and parents and everyone involved with school.

What I need right now is a reminder of how to persevere in seasons of exhaustion. And so that’s what I’ll be sharing with you today.

The first verse that comes to mind when I think of exhaustion is Isaiah 40:31: “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.”

I want my strength renewed. I want to soar on wings like eagles. I want to run and walk and never get tired. All of this verse sounds so wonderful.

But the beauty of this verse is grounded in the foundation set by the previous verses, verses that dwell on the glory and majesty of our Creator. The Everlasting God never grows weary. He works in ways beyond mortal understanding, outside of human frameworks.

It is this unfathomable Creator who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

And we are only able to persevere when we root our hope, trust, and joy in Him.

God promises to give us strength in these verses, but that doesn’t mean we will always be physically energetic or emotionally strong during our time on earth. We are still humans, limited by our physical bodies.

God can give us spiritual endurance—not in us, not by our own power or force of will—but in Christ alone. And with this endurance, even when life is tough or exhausting or draining, our ultimate hope and perseverance stays secure.

So how do we persevere in seasons of exhaustion, on a practical level? 

This looks different for everyone—and it depends on where you find God.

• If you find God in the mountains, go for a hike and meet Him there. 

• If you find God in your community, find ways to meet Him there.

• If you find God during a morning devotional, make that part of your daily schedule and meet Him there.

• If you find God in your bedroom closet, alone and on your knees, set aside time to meet Him there.

But this is how we can persevere: with Christ.

We can’t do it on our own. But with our God, all things are possible.

And never forget… you are onederfully created in Him.

Love,
Becca