They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
As a runner, the above verse from todays reading in Isaiah is one of two verses that I lean on quite often. The other being from Hebrews 12:1, “…let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us, and persevere in running the race that lies before us.”
When I am deep into a long distance run or race, when my legs are tired and I don’t think I can run any more, I summon these words of encouragement and wisdom from God. They help me to refocus and put things in a certain perspective. I recently ran my first marathon, and there are so many parallels between running and life, especially that long of a race. It is no coincidence that running and racing are talked about in the Bible.
You have hills and valleys, and tough roads, and easy paths. Sometimes it’s hard to see the trail you’re on amidst the curves and rocks, and other obstacles. Other times the path is straight and wide and smooth. Just like in life.
When I’m running all those miles, sometimes my mind is on other things and not focused on the run. If I carry my stress, problems, and other issues with me into my run, my mind doesn’t relax and I get weighed down, and out of focus. I then think about all those things weighing me down, and risk of taking a misstep or not paying attention to what’s in front of me. Just like in life.
But just like in life, I can get back on track with my run. I can release the burdens on my mind or those aches weighing me down, clear my thoughts, and persevere through the tough parts, because I know that a downhill is coming, or that I will have the wind to my back, or that I am close to the finish. Often my hope and faith in God has gotten me through those hardest miles.
It’s the same in life. We all have our burdens. Life always seems like we’re constantly running uphill. Except the hills of life can sometimes be more like mountains – the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, financial problems, marital stress, or issues with your children. Sometimes, our burdens are so much, that we feel we have to stop and that there is no way out, and we want to give up. This is where Christ’s Gospel today comes into play:
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Jesus wants us to offer our burdens to Him. He’s stronger and faster. He can handle it. He’ll help us along and carry us. But there’s a catch. Jesus tells us to “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…”. The catch is, we can’t just say, “take my problems” and life is easy again – we have to mean it. We have to be sincere. We have to surrender to Christ and tell Him “we cannot do it without you!” You need to say to Him, “Jesus, I need your help. I cannot do any more. I have no other way out.”
But when we surrender our problems to Christ, as the Gospel says, we have to be ready to learn from him. I think this is often an overlooked piece of this particular verse. You know the saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and feed him for a lifetime.” This is what Jesus is saying in the Gospel today. He will help us with our burdens, but He’s going to teach us how to better endure and handle those burdens that come our way. But we have to be willing to learn. He’s not just giving us a single fish by giving us His yoke. It’s not a one time deal. He wants to teach us how we can better withstand those hills and mountains and rocks that stand in our way throughout the rest of our lives. He wants to teach us how to fish. He wants to show us how we can “…run and not grow weary.”
Do you seek to give Christ your burdens? Do you also seek Christ’s instruction on how you can better handle future burdens that come your way? Christ wants us to finish our race in Heaven. He wants to show us how we can persevere in running that race that lies before us. Let Him teach you.
