When You Are Out of Oomph

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

 There was a period when I was one tired, weary person. I was in what seemed like a never-ending valley. I knew that it was simply a valley; that He was walking with me, holding my hand; and that He would bring me out to the other side as He always did, but I was out of “oomph.”

My energy was gone. I was trying to hold on to hope, but my fingernails were bloody and my arms were tired. I wasn’t upset or sad. I was too tired to even feel those emotions. Those take effort; I was too weary for even that.

The months kept dragging on with no breakthrough. Finally, I ran into a spiritual brick wall and collapsed in a heap. I had reached the point where I felt utterly incapable of taking one more step. And if anyone had told me that “the joy of the Lord was my strength,” I might have come unglued.

Then reading a daily journal, I came across a piece on waiting and Isaiah 40:31. The writer explained that waiting is not a passive action, it is active. While we wait in hope and positive anticipation, God is working on our behalf. But the waiting can become tiring, especially when the days drag on and no movement is seen. That is when we need to stand on Isaiah 40:31 and claim His promise of new strength.

So I went to my Bible and read the verse, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

My response? “Lord, You have got to be kidding! Run…walk...my knees are shaking they are so weak. I can barely walk, and I certainly cannot run.” I felt like the albatross in the Disney animated movie, “The Rescuers,” who needed a super long runway to take off. He would run wobbling from side to side, struggling to gain enough speed to take flight. He crashed a lot. His landings were even worse.

I spent a few more days moping along, dragging myself out of bed each morning, mad at myself for not standing more strongly, apologizing to Him every night for being weak. And as always, He treated me gently and kindly with no condemnation, just love.

The one thing I did, no matter how bad I felt, was to have my quiet time each day. It was so tempting to skip it, but I knew that was the worst thing I could do. Sometimes it felt like the words were falling on stony ground, but, more often than not, the Holy Spirit led me to comforting scriptures to help me hold on.

Then suddenly, the sun broke through. I woke up one morning and the cloud was gone. Peace had returned, strength was coming back, and my outlook on the day was positive.

While listening to praise and worship music, the song “Always Good,” by Andrew Peterson, came on.1 Two lines from this song really touched my heart. The first: “He suffered like I never could.” I can never go through anything worse than the suffering Jesus faced on the cross on my behalf. The second: “Somehow this sorrow is shaping my heart like it should.” Everything I go through God uses to mold and shape me further into the image of His Beloved Son. No experience ever goes to waste.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

I know there will be another valley in my future, but I also know that He will bring me out as He always does. So, if you are struggling right now, keep walking, keep putting one foot in front of the other. God is going to bring you out the other side. I know how exhausting the journey can be, but it will end. The sun always rises each morning, and it will rise for you.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:2 NKJV).