This has been a challenging final semester at college. Lots of late nights and long hours of studying. A few weeks ago, after having just completed my first week of the semester, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It had been a tiring week, and I was having difficulty feeling at rest about things as I entered into the Sabbath. I have a stack of Bible verse memory cards that I’ve accumulated over the years. That night, as I read the few cards on top of the stack, I came across some verses that were an encouragement and a comfort to me. I hope you’ll take a little time to let these words sink in.
Psalm 94:19 — “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”
Psalm 27:14 — “Wait for YHWH; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for YHWH.”
Isaiah 40:30,31 — “Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for YHWH will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Philippians 4:6,7 — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Yeshua.”
I was particularly struck by the passages in Isaiah 40 and Philippians 4. It’s not that I hadn’t read them before, but reading them in the midst of feeling tired and anxious was like a refreshing glass of water. I felt like the young man in Isaiah 40 — the youth who was weary and tired. I wanted to feel like I had the upcoming semester under control, but instead I felt at the end of my rope. There was verse 31, reminding me to wait patiently for Yahweh. I felt anxious, and there was Philippians 4, reminding me to cast my worries at Yah’s feet in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.
If you’re feeling anxious or weary right now, I hope these verses will be a comfort to you. What a blessing it is that Yahweh, our gracious Father, desires His children to rest in Him.
Shalom!
(Bible passages NASB 1995; Hebrew transl. added.)
Exhortation Station 