Daily devotional · December 11
Strengthen Weak Hands
“The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees! Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”
Isaiah imagines a desert blooming, dry ground turning into springs, and a road where the ransomed walk. In the middle of this vision he speaks to people who are worn out: strengthen tired hands, steady wobbly knees, tell the anxious of heart to be strong because God is coming to save. Notice that the message is not simply be strong on your own. It is be strong because help is on the way. There is also a call to us as we receive it: we are meant to strengthen others. Someone near you is tired this December, whether from grief, work, illness or loneliness. Today, take three minutes to write or call one weary person and tell them something true and hopeful, that they are not forgotten and that God sees them. If you are the weary one, read this passage aloud, and let it be spoken over you. And if the weight is heavy, please talk with a pastor or counselor.
Prayer
Lord, strengthen my weary hands, and use me to lift someone else today. Amen.