Strength to the Weary

I was pretty weary last night after having an all afternoon early birthday party for both Kara and Micah at the same time. It has been a long time since we had sixteen kids in our house at the same time. Our kids enjoyed it and were grateful. Dad was tired though.

As I got up this morning, thinking about all that needs to go on today, the Spirit took me back to Psalm 29 where I was yesterday and I wondered about what was going on when David was writing it. I looked in the ESV study bible we have and I appreciate their perspective. David may have been observing a thunderstorm come over. I took that and ran with it. It was a good perspective to think of that thunderstorm rolling over David out in the fields and little David calling out to the heavenly beings to give glory in the right place, to the God of the Universe. Then he ends the psalm, possibly with the flood of a fast, strong thunderstorm pouring water through the dry gullies to the point that David uses the word for flood that was used in Noah's time. And even in that God is giving strength to His people.

The next stop was Isaiah 40. I saw my fragility next to the power of God but I didn't fully realize my weariness until I got to verse 28:

"Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

(that's what David was trying to get across in Psalm 29)

He will not grow tired or weary,

(that's good because I need someone to lean on)

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary,

and increases the power of the weak.

(this is where I realized how weary I had become, yet it will be God strengthening me)

Even youths grow tired and weary,

(that's good to know because I think I'm still young but I have gotten weary)

and young men stumble and fall;

(Lord, hold me up. Matthew 11:28-30 comes to mind)

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

(Yes! Praise and thank You, God)

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

The interesting thing in all this, is that one of the things that has most concerned me lately is selling our van. I had not yet gotten the title though we had paid it off almost 2 years before. I have been trying to find out how to go about getting it from Kansas. This morning, Saturday (go figure), the moment I sat down to have quiet time with God I noticed an email came in on my Blackberry...from Kansas that they had not received my lien release. I faxed it and as I was writing the above blog about Isaiah 40 I got another email saying they had received my fax and would have the title in the mail on Monday. Praise God. Now I don't have to get a Power of Attorney to sign the title for me after we leave.

This is just a little way of how God has been caring for even my anxieties and strengthening me tangibly...even as I write about what His Word tells me.

"The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!

May the Lord bless his people with peace!" Psalm 29:10,11

Wow! Only by God's grace, Tim.