Check out the featured post and read more here: https://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer/strength-for-the-season-ahead.html
As the days lengthen, this prayer asks God to renew weary hearts.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).
SOMETHING TO PONDER
It was almost the first day of spring, but I felt depleted. Despite the blooming flowers, gently rolling clouds, and growing sunshine, my spirit had grown weary. This winter had been rough. I felt like the piles of salt poured onto the roads during snowstorms and ran over half a dozen times by passing traffic. And yet, something within told me hold on, look for the light, find new strength.
When we grow weary and tired, it’s easy to fix our eyes on our circumstances. This is the human thing to do. When we’re in pain, we fixate on what hurts. Physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. But Isaiah 40:31 tells us another way:
“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).
What I love most about this verse is that it isn’t toxic positivity or blissful ignorance. No, God does care about our pain, tragedy, and circumstances. But those things don’t change His character. Those things don’t change who He is. So, when we’re in times of distress, we’re given a choice:
-We can put our hope in God or
-We can put our hope in ourselves.
Only one of these solutions leads to lasting peace as an eternal outcome. When we put our hope in Jesus, our strength is restored, not because our circumstances change, but because God is with us in those circumstances. He strengthens us along the way, providing everything we need.
How can you practically do this?
Hoping in God looks like choosing to mentally fix our eyes on Him, no matter what the world around us looks like. Again, this isn’t ignorance of our circumstances. It’s saying, “God, XYZ is happening, but help me look to you.” It’s recognizing that God is with us, even here, and that’s a blessing.