10th February 2021

Weary. Now there is a word for these days.

Faint, tiresome, powerless, exhausted… weary.

Weary of the pandemic filling every aspect of our lives. Tired of having our normal social activities curtailed. Exhausted by the effort of trying to keep up with the ever-changing confusion of rules. Powerless in the face of loved ones falling ill with disease. Weary…

But hear the words of Isaiah:

Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who hope in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high as if they had wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:28-31, NLT altd.)

So today I am going to try and put my hope in the Lord. Not hoping in the effectiveness of vaccines – though I pray they will be effective. Not hoping in the ability of humankind to overcome Covid-19 or whatever adversity comes next. But hope in the Lord. Hope in the one who made the stars in the sky. Hope in the one who is the source of wisdom and truth and justice and love. Hope in the one who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.

And then tomorrow I will try and put my hope in him again…

Ian Waddington