WHEN YOU ARE TOO TIRED TO KEEP GOING—WAIT ON THE LORD
The World Is Exhausting Us. God Is Inviting Us to Come Closer.
There is a particular kind of tiredness that sleep does not fix.
You can sleep eight hours and still wake up tired.
Take a vacation and return tired.
Sit down all evening and remain tired.
Because sometimes it isn't your body that is exhausted.
It is your soul.
We live in a wearisome world.
Decisions must be made.
Problems must be solved.
Bills must be paid.
Families must be cared for.
Work must be completed.
News never stops.
Phones never stop.
Messages never stop.
Responsibilities keep coming.
And somewhere between everything we have to do and everything everybody expects us to do, we can feel ourselves becoming weaker and weaker.
Isaiah spoke to people who understood weariness.
And through him, God gave us one of Scripture's great promises:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:31
Notice what God does not say.
He doesn't say:
“Try harder.”
He says:
“WAIT UPON THE LORD.”
Maybe that is exactly what some of us need to hear today.
WE ARE TIRED—AND WE KNOW IT
Look around.
People are exhausted.
Physically.
Emotionally.
Mentally.
Financially.
Spiritually.
We rush from one responsibility to another.
We answer messages while eating.
Check email before getting out of bed.
Carry work home.
Scroll through bad news before going to sleep.
Think about tomorrow while trying to survive today.
Even our “rest” can become another activity.
And Christians are not immune.
We work.
Raise children.
Care for aging parents.
Serve in ministry.
Attend church.
Handle emergencies.
Help other people.
Pray for everybody else's problems.
And sometimes, while helping everybody else remain standing—
we quietly begin running out of strength ourselves.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T REALIZE HOW WEAK WE HAVE BECOME
Spiritual exhaustion rarely announces itself with a flashing warning light.
It creeps in.
Prayer becomes shorter.
Bible reading becomes occasional.
Patience becomes thinner.
Little things irritate us.
We become easily discouraged.
Problems appear larger.
Our thoughts become increasingly negative.
Worship feels mechanical.
We begin making decisions from exhaustion instead of wisdom.
And eventually we say:
“I don't know what is wrong with me.”
Perhaps nothing mysterious is wrong.
Maybe you are simply depleted.
You have been pouring out without being replenished.
“BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME”
I can almost hear someone saying it.
“Pastor, that sounds wonderful, but I don't have time to sit around waiting on God.”
I understand.
This isn't only a weary age.
It is a busy age.
We are all busy.
There is always something else requiring attention.
But perhaps the question isn't:
“Do I have time to seek God?”
Perhaps the question is:
“CAN I AFFORD NOT TO?”
If your strength is disappearing...
If your judgment is becoming clouded...
If your patience is disappearing...
If your spiritual life is drying up...
If you are carrying decisions bigger than your wisdom...
then spending time with God isn't another item competing for space on your schedule.
It may be what enables you to handle everything else on it.
WE FIND TIME FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IS NECESSARY
This can be uncomfortable.
We say we don't have time to pray.
But somehow we find time to scroll.
We don't have time to read Scripture.
But we find time for television.
We don't have time to sit quietly before God.
But our phones sometimes tell us we spent several hours this week on social media.
This isn't about condemnation.
It is about priorities.
Most of us don't accidentally find an extra hour lying around somewhere.
We make time for what matters.
If that means getting up earlier, get up earlier.
If it means going to bed a little sooner, do that.
If it means turning off the television, turn it off.
If it means putting the phone in another room, put it there.
And yes, there may occasionally be a season when someone feels led to rise at two or three o'clock in the morning to seek God.
But let me add an important word of balance:
GOD DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO DESTROY YOUR HEALTH TO PROVE YOUR DEVOTION.
Rest matters too.
Jesus slept.
Your body needs sleep.
The point isn't that 3:00 a.m. is holier than 7:00 a.m.
The point is:
MAKE ROOM FOR GOD.
Whatever time genuinely works.
Whatever sacrifice is necessary.
Whatever distractions must occasionally be moved aside.
Give Him your attention.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “WAIT” UPON THE LORD?
Waiting on God does not mean doing nothing.
Biblical waiting is active trust.
It means:
Seeking Him before running ahead of Him.
Listening before deciding.
Praying before reacting.
Trusting when the answer hasn't arrived.
Remaining faithful when circumstances haven't changed.
Opening Scripture and allowing God's Word to correct our thinking.
Refusing to panic simply because we cannot see what God is doing.
Waiting says:
“Lord, I don't know what to do—but I know where to come.”
That is not weakness.
That is wisdom.
GOD DOESN'T GET TIRED
Just before Isaiah gives us the promise of verse 31, he reminds us who God is:
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?” — Isaiah 40:28
Read that again.
GOD DOES NOT BECOME EXHAUSTED.
We do.
God doesn't.
Our wisdom runs out.
His doesn't.
Our patience runs thin.
His doesn't.
Our strength fails.
His doesn't.
We become overwhelmed by tomorrow.
God is already there.
That's why waiting upon Him matters.
We aren't merely resting.
We are drawing near to Someone whose resources never become depleted.
EVEN THE STRONG GET TIRED
Isaiah continues:
“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.” — Isaiah 40:30
Youth is usually associated with strength.
Energy.
Endurance.
Yet God says even young people eventually become tired.
That means exhaustion is not necessarily evidence that you are weak.
Sometimes exhaustion simply means:
You are human.
There are burdens no amount of determination can carry indefinitely.
There are problems intelligence alone cannot solve.
There are seasons when motivation isn't enough.
Eventually human strength reaches its limit.
And perhaps that limit isn't always our enemy.
Sometimes reaching the end of ourselves teaches us where our real strength has always come from.
“THEY SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH”
This is the promise.
Not:
“They will discover they never needed strength.”
Not:
“They will never encounter another difficult day.”
But:
“THEY SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH.”
God knows strength gets spent.
He knows you get tired.
He knows ministry can exhaust you.
He knows parenting can exhaust you.
He knows caregiving can exhaust you.
He knows financial pressure can exhaust you.
He knows grief can exhaust you.
He knows fighting the same battle for months can exhaust you.
And He doesn't stand over the weary believer shouting:
“What's wrong with you?”
He invites us to come.
THE EAGLE DOESN'T HAVE TO DEFEAT THE WIND
Isaiah gives us a magnificent picture:
“They shall mount up with wings as eagles...”
An eagle understands something we sometimes forget.
The wind that opposes it can also become the wind that lifts it.
Instead of exhausting itself trying to overpower every current, the eagle can spread its wings and rise upon it.
Some of us are spending enormous amounts of energy fighting winds we cannot control.
What somebody said.
What somebody did.
The economy.
Politics.
The past.
Another person's decision.
A closed door.
An unanswered prayer.
An uncertain future.
There are things you can change.
Change them.
There are things you should confront.
Confront them.
But there are also things beyond your control.
At some point faith must say:
“Lord, I cannot control this—but I trust You.”
And perhaps the wind you thought would destroy you becomes the very place where God teaches you to fly.
SOME DAYS YOU WILL RUN
Isaiah says:
“They shall run, and not be weary...”
There are seasons when God gives extraordinary strength.
Doors open.
Momentum builds.
You can almost feel yourself moving with divine purpose.
Run.
Use the opportunity.
Do the work.
Serve.
Preach.
Build.
Write.
Witness.
Help.
Go.
But notice Isaiah doesn't stop there.
SOME DAYS YOU WILL ONLY WALK
“And they shall walk, and not faint.”
I love that.
Because life isn't always soaring.
And it isn't always running.
Sometimes faith looks like:
Putting one foot in front of the other.
You prayed today.
You got out of bed.
You went to work.
You didn't quit.
You forgave again.
You resisted temptation one more day.
You read one chapter of Scripture.
You whispered:
“Jesus, help me.”
And kept walking.
Don't despise walking seasons because you remember flying seasons.
If all you can do today is walk with God—
WALK.
He is still with you.
BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION—WAIT
Someone reading this has a decision to make.
Perhaps a major one.
Career.
Marriage.
Relationship.
Ministry.
Finances.
Relocation.
Medical treatment.
Business.
Family.
And the pressure to decide immediately feels enormous.
Maybe you need to stop.
Not forever.
Long enough to pray.
Long enough to study God's Word.
Long enough for emotions to settle.
Long enough to hear wisdom.
Long enough to distinguish fear from faith.
Long enough to ask:
“Lord, what would You have me do?”
Sometimes our greatest mistakes happen because we would rather have a quick answer than God's answer.
BEFORE YOU TRY TO SOLVE EVERYTHING—SEEK GOD
We are problem solvers.
Especially those accustomed to responsibility.
A problem appears.
We analyze.
Plan.
Call someone.
Research.
Make a spreadsheet.
Move resources.
Develop contingencies.
There is nothing wrong with planning.
But somewhere in the process, Christians should remember:
PRAY FIRST.
Not after everything fails.
Not when Plan A, B, C and D collapse.
First.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Planning and prayer aren't enemies.
Prayer simply reminds planning:
You aren't God.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOD
If necessary, put it on your schedule.
Seriously.
We schedule:
Doctors.
Dentists.
Meetings.
Workouts.
Haircuts.
Lunches.
Conference calls.
Vacations.
Why not intentionally reserve time for God?
Fifteen minutes.
Thirty minutes.
An hour.
Perhaps longer when circumstances allow.
Not as a legalistic requirement.
Not because God carries a stopwatch.
But because relationships require attention.
Find a quiet place.
Open your Bible.
Turn off notifications.
Pray.
Listen.
Read.
Think.
Sometimes say nothing at all.
Just sit before God.
You may discover that the time you thought you couldn't afford to give Him becomes the most valuable time in your day.
DON'T TURN YOUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE INTO ANOTHER PERFORMANCE
There is a danger here.
Someone reads this and decides:
“Starting tomorrow, I'm praying three hours every morning!”
Three days later, they're exhausted and discouraged.
That isn't the point.
Begin realistically.
Ten focused minutes with God is better than an imaginary two hours you never actually spend.
Build.
Develop consistency.
Protect the time.
Allow hunger for God to grow.
Some mornings will be powerful.
Others will feel ordinary.
Keep coming.
Relationships deepen through consistency, not occasional emotional intensity.
JESUS HIMSELF WITHDREW TO PRAY
Think about that.
Jesus had people waiting.
People needing healing.
Disciples needing instruction.
Crowds wanting answers.
An enormous mission.
Yet Scripture says:
“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” — Luke 5:16
If Jesus intentionally withdrew from demands to pray—
why do we imagine we can live indefinitely without doing the same?
There will always be another demand.
Another email.
Another problem.
Another person.
Another responsibility.
Sometimes spirituality requires saying:
“That can wait for a moment. I need to be with the Father.”
PERHAPS YOU ARE READING THIS AT 2:00 A.M.
Maybe you cannot sleep.
Your mind is racing.
Something is worrying you.
Perhaps everyone else in the house is asleep.
The world is quiet.
If so, perhaps this moment doesn't have to be wasted on anxiety.
Turn the worry into prayer.
Tell God everything.
No performance.
No polished language.
Just:
“Father, I am tired.”
“Father, I am afraid.”
“Father, I don't know what to do.”
“Father, I need You.”
There are prayers God understands perfectly well even when they contain only four words:
“LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH.”
YOU DON'T HAVE TO CARRY TOMORROW TONIGHT
Some of our exhaustion comes from carrying days that haven't arrived.
Tomorrow's problem.
Next month's bill.
Next year's uncertainty.
“What if this happens?”
“What if that doesn't work?”
“What if they say no?”
“What if I fail?”
Jesus said:
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” — Matthew 6:34
You have enough grace for today.
When tomorrow arrives, God will still be God.
CHURCH, WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO WAIT AGAIN
We have become accustomed to speed.
Instant messages.
Same-day delivery.
Streaming on demand.
Immediate answers.
Artificial intelligence can produce information in seconds.
But God has not agreed to become an app.
Some things He develops slowly.
Character.
Patience.
Discernment.
Trust.
Maturity.
Faith.
Sometimes the waiting isn't delaying God's purpose.
THE WAITING IS PART OF GOD'S PURPOSE.
We ask:
“Lord, why is this taking so long?”
And God may be doing something in us that cannot be rushed.
DON'T CONFUSE WAITING WITH GOD'S ABSENCE
This is important.
You prayed.
Nothing changed.
You prayed again.
Still nothing.
Weeks passed.
Months.
Perhaps years.
And you began wondering:
“Did God hear me?”
Yes.
Waiting does not mean God isn't working.
Roots grow where nobody sees them.
Seeds germinate underground.
Babies develop hidden in the womb.
Some of God's greatest work happens beyond our sight.
Faith says:
“I cannot see what You are doing, Lord, but I will keep trusting You.”
COME BACK TO THE SOURCE
If you are exhausted tonight, perhaps you don't need another motivational speech.
You need God.
If your spiritual tank is empty, another cup of coffee won't fill it.
If your mind is overwhelmed, another hour of scrolling probably won't settle it.
If your heart is anxious, another news broadcast may make matters worse.
Turn it off.
Put the phone down.
Open the Bible.
Close the door.
Find somewhere quiet.
And say:
“FATHER, HERE I AM.”
Then stay there for a while.
WAIT UNTIL STRENGTH RETURNS
Not every problem will disappear.
The bill may still be due.
The diagnosis may remain.
The difficult person may still be difficult.
The decision may still need to be made.
But something can change.
You.
Your perspective.
Your peace.
Your strength.
Your ability to carry what yesterday felt impossible to carry.
That's the promise of Isaiah 40:31.
Not necessarily that God removes every hill—
but that He gives us strength to climb.
Not that every wind stops—
but that sometimes He teaches us to rise upon it.
YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BE TIRED
Hear that.
Being tired does not make you a bad Christian.
Jesus understands human weakness.
You don't have to pretend.
You don't have to come before God saying:
“Everything is wonderful!”
when everything isn't wonderful.
Come tired.
Come confused.
Come frustrated.
Come empty.
Come with questions.
Come with tears.
But—
COME.
Because the promise isn't made to those who pretend never to become weary.
It is made to those who know where to go when they do.
TOMORROW MORNING, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Before touching the phone—
pray.
Before checking the news—
open Scripture.
Before allowing the world to tell you everything that is wrong—
allow God to remind you who He is.
Even if only for a few minutes.
Say:
“Lord, this day belongs to You. Give me wisdom for my decisions, strength for my responsibilities, patience for people, courage for difficulties, and grace for whatever I cannot control.”
Then get up.
And face the day.
Not because everything became easy.
But because you remembered:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO FACE IT ALONE.
THE WORLD IS WEARY. GOD IS NOT.
That may be the sentence somebody needs today.
The world is weary.
God is not.
You may be tired.
God is not.
You may be confused.
God is not.
You may not know what tomorrow holds.
God does.
You may be running low.
His supply has not diminished.
So stop trying to manufacture strength you no longer possess.
Return to the Source.
Wait.
Pray.
Read.
Listen.
Trust.
And when God says move—
move.
Perhaps you will soar.
Perhaps you will run.
Perhaps all you can manage is a slow walk.
That's all right.
Just don't quit.
Because the same God who carried you yesterday is waiting for you today.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength...” — Isaiah 40:31
So when the world has taken almost everything out of you—
DON'T JUST WORK HARDER.
WAIT ON THE LORD.
Your strength can be renewed.
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International
Your Feet to the Nations
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