A Word for the Weary
19 January
Back in March, I wrote a post about the "Waiting Room," and it's honestly a metaphor I think about a lot. Mostly because even though it's been nearly a year since I wrote that, I'm still waiting. I'm out here, posted up in the waiting room, and I've read like 38 novels along with all the old tabloids laying around, my phone is dead, I've taken a nap, checked in with the receptionist an additional 10 times to see what the status is, and yet, after all of this I still haven't been seen by the doctor. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm even going to be seen at all today. I'm quite frankly ready to give up and go home at this point.
Admittedly, this isn't a metaphorical scenario that's even that outlandish from what's actually been going on with me. I'm in a seemingly never-ending season of waiting, and although I know it has purpose, I'm growing weary.
I don't know about you, but I'm a hot mess. I'm like overly emotional all the time, and it's just that: a mess. But I take comfort in knowing that I am in good company with God's people and one of those was Jacob. Jacob had a hard life, y'all. I don't have time to go into his entire biography, but basically he got himself into a lot of things that made his life more difficult. Recently, I've been listening to some highlights from Pastor Steven Furtick's series, "Death to Selfie." In it, he chronicles the life of Jacob and teaches a TON of valuable lessons using his life through triumphs and successes. One of the most profound points he makes is that after Jacob has died, Moses asks God the question, "When people ask me who you are, what should I tell them?" And God says, "I am who I am." That's a pretty popular verse, but what follows is even more profound. God answers, "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Now that seems pretty basic because Jacob is his name, but the name Jacob represents Jacob's old self. God renamed Jacob "Israel" after an encounter with Him where He was changed. Furtick makes the point that if you were God, wouldn't you use Israel instead when listing off your achievements? Wouldn't you want to be known by his good side? But no, God uses Jacob's name intentionally to show that God is the God of our struggle as well as our triumphs. I can't communicate it as well as he does, so here's the video.
I recount all this because it has to do with something I want to show you:
I was reading the other day in Isaiah 40. The majority of the chapter focuses on the greatness of God and how spectacular He is. It gives countless examples of His power and glory so that the reader is convinced that He is unmatched in every way. But then it goes on to say this:
"O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?" (v. 27)
I was struck by two things here:
1. The point God makes
You see God didn't recount all the things He can do and has done just because. No, He recounted them to show that He is capable and worthy to be trusted. It's as if He says, "I'm able to be trusted with the earth, stars, and all of creation, but you still don't think I see you struggling? You think I'm ignoring you?" The word "rights" in this verse is a Hebrew word meaning "case." In other words, your side of things. If He is as powerful as He showed in the preceding 26 verses (and I believe He is), He surely knows and sees your side of things. He surely knows that you are at the end of your rope. He surely knows you are weary. Take comfort in the fact that He does in fact see you and your case, and He's working it out behind the scenes.
2. God's strategic use of names
I also thought it was interesting that God used both the name Israel and Jacob. Like I summarized earlier, Steven Furtick really shed a ton of light on the intentionality of the way those names are used. But I was wondering, "Why not just use one or the other?" I realized that Jacob had a lot of troubles, but those troubles didn't stop when God renamed him. You see, the use of both names was intentional to again illustrate the faithfulness of God. Matthew Henry's commentary says this,
"The titles he gives them were enough to shame them out of their distress: O Jacob! O Israel! Let them remember whence they took these names -- from one who had found God faithful to him and kind in all his straits."
God used both of these names to remind them that he was with Jacob AND Israel through all his trials and proved Himself faithful to bring him out of it. Shouldn't God then be faithful to bring you out of your troubles? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and so He says this same thing to us, the weary, today as well. "I see you. I know you're hurting, and I know you're ready to give up. But trust me. I am faithful to bring you out of this even more blessed than you were before."
So that's great right? But the reality is, if you're weary, that may encourage you, but it might not magically solve your weariness. Check out what comes a few verses after:
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint." (v. 31)
The key to overcoming weariness is trust. The Word says that when we trust in the Lord we will find new strength. When we surrender the heavy weight we've been carrying around that's made us weary in the first place over to God, who is far more capable of carrying it, we find new strength. We find that even though it doesn't make sense to hope we continue to hope. We find that even though it makes more sense to give up, we press on. Why? Because we are wholly trusting that the same God that aligns the stars each and every night faithfully, will perfectly align His plans in our lives when the time is right.
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