To be weary or not to be weary…
Ever read the Bible and come across a verse you’ve never “seen” before or that takes you by surprise? Ecclesiastes 1:8 was that kind of surprise for me. It says this, “Everything is wearisome beyond description.” That hit me hard! YES, LORD, this is exactly how I have been feeling – weary! But the Apostle Paul told us not to grow weary doing. So, everything is wearisome, but don’t grow weary? Ugh.
Some things never grow weary.
Ecclesiastes 1:5 says, ‘The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.’ One day, I walked outside to see the sunrise. The sun, indeed, had raced across the other side of the world as I slept, and was back to greet me that morning. The sun’s job never changes, yet it performs its task magnificently and consistently each day, with no two days alike. And even when it’s covered by clouds or haze, it’s still faithfully racing across the sky and shining.
How NOT to be so weary.
Another verse that got a hold of me is Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is alive and active. It’s sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” When I read the Word of God, I tend to read it through the lens of my perspective in the moment, a perspective that may be weary and downtrodden or uplifted and peaceful, etc. My lens impacts how I read the Word, but the Word is also reading me. It wants to come “alive” in me, entering through my lens and “penetrating” my life, bringing newness and freshness to it. If I miss a day or a week or a month, I also miss the intersection of God’s truth with my very real life that is often wearisome, a truth that can help me feel and be less weary. But for God’s Word to remain alive in me, I must make room for it in my life.
Stay plugged into your power source.
I’m a lot like the sun, racing around from here to there, with no two days alike, but I don’t always shine. Clouds and haze feel like they get in my way. But though I may feel like I lack the ability to shine in my flesh, the reality is – I do not lack the power to shine because of the Spirit. The Spirit is alive and active just like the Word of God. I just need to stay plugged into that power by staying plugged into God’s Word. When I stay plugged in, the wearisome becomes less weary. So, I can’t miss this – for God’s Word to be alive in me, I must be active in His Word. And the same goes for you, my friend, especially if you’re feeling weary.