Sustaining The Weary

One of my favourite books in the Bible has long been the prophet Isaiah. 

Listen to these wonderful words.

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

Isaiah 50:4

We will only ever be able to speak well if we take time to allow God to instruct us.  That means that we need to be regularly reading His Word to know what kinds of things He says (and doesn’t say) and then also listen carefully as we move along through our day to let God direct us in the moment.

One of my favourite moments with someone who has called or with whom I’m having a conversation happens when I ask this simple question, “Can I pray for you?”  Almost always the person will welcome that and so I shoot up a quick silent prayer, “God show me what You want me to pray for this person.”  God is so kind to speak thoughts and words that when I speak them over the person, they often have a visibly uplifting effect because God loves for us to share a “word that sustains the weary.”

I don’t live in that moment often enough in my days but I pray to do so more – to have my ear awakened to the voice of God and His Words that sustain the weary.

Heavenly Father, our only hope for a well-instructed tongue is to receive wisdom and instruction from Your Word and the voice of Your Holy Spirit.  We do need to hear from you morning by morning, hour by hour, circumstance by circumstance.  It’s the only way we can hope to navigate our day well.

Thank you for how Your Word sustains us when we are weary and then helps us know how to do that for others we come in contact with who are struggling and needing a word of comfort or encouragement.

We open our hearts today to hear, understand, and follow Your instruction.   Help us today to be conscious of those around us who are weary, to receive the word from You that will help to sustain them, and to take the opportunity to actually share it with them.   Amen