Let the Light Shine Through

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
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 40:30-31

It’s a beautiful image, the exchanging of our own human frailties for God’s infinite strength. Our world greatly prizes youth, strength and beauty. But Isaiah admits the truth bluntly: “even youths grow tired and weary, and young men (and presumably women) stumble and fall.” Yes, our strength is all too finite.

There are times when we are painfully aware of how weak we are. Life is cruel. Trust is broken. Our hearts must hold the weight of our love and our shattered pieces both. We are not enough.

We must exchange our own strength for God’s.

It’s much easier to type than it is to live out though. My pride gets in the way. So do my human (and natural) desires.  I dislike acting out of my feebleness. I want to be strong, not weak. I want to use my talents, not my struggles, for the Lord; I don’t want to be dependent. I want to be whole, not shattered. But Paul reminds us:

 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Are you tired? Broken? Not enough? Remember, beloved, it’s through a broken vessel that the Light can shine through.

Photo by Ilja Tulit on Unsplash