A Proclamation for the Weary

When the Lord calls us to some big thing beyond ourselves, there is an excitement that cannot be contained. Whether He has called us to motherhood or ministry, it all feels very exciting, full of hope of what we can do as we anticipate its start. Then, reality sets in, and ultimately, I think we all face moments where we ask, “What am I doing?” After nine months of anticipation, we bring a baby home that we realize we don’t always instinctively know what to do with.

After anticipating the fulfillment of a dream He placed in our hearts, we sit in the midst of whatever work the Lord might be doing trying to figure out what is happening. Challenges come from multiple directions, and thriving seems out of reach. Surviving is where we sit, and we wonder if we are failing Him and people.

As I sought the Lord about how to handle this very heavy verse, I felt that He wanted to proclaim something over the weary, including me. Just because we don’t know what’s happening sometimes or do not feel we are doing enough does not mean we have turned our hearts from the Lord.

I saw a quote from Sadie Robertson that said, “If He called you, He has already considered who you are when He called you.” When I read it, I chuckled because sometimes I think it’s “me” that gets in the way. We are all being molded to be more like Him.

​While we are trying to live out our faith, He is doing the heart work to make us more like Him. There is always going to be this tension between who we long to be (or think we should be) and who we actually are on this side of heaven.

You might be thinking, “But I feel like such a failure at this,” and I feel that, but let’s look at what turning your heart away from God actually looks like. It looks like Solomon who “did not keep the LORD’s command” and followed other gods (1 Kings 11:10). It looks like King Saul turning away from the Lord in order to keep the best of the spoils of war instead of completely destroying the Amalekites as he was told (1 Sam. 15:9). It looks like the many times Israel turned to follow other gods. In Jeremiah 8:5-6, the Lord asks “Why then have these people turned away?...None of them repent of their wickedness saying ‘What have I done?’...Each pursues their own course.”

Sometimes we face the overwhelming question of “Have I turned away somehow?” If we have gotten off track, we have the prescription for restoration: repentance.

John tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If we feel like we are missing something, we ask Him for wisdom, and He will give it (James 1:5). If we feel like we are not doing enough, we remember that our salvation is by grace through faith, not by works (Eph. 2:8-9).

So wherever we sit today, let’s allow Him to wash over us with His love and grace, knowing that we can be confident “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

““This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
​Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV)

About the Author

Hi! I'm Saretta Wells, married to Adam and mommie to three amazing boys. I am passionate about receiving ALL that the Lord has for my life, and I love diving into His word. I am so thankful He is near and still speaks to us today! We are Alabama transplants to Alaska, where the Lord has blessed us with a place to serve all while enjoying the wildness Alaska has to offer. I spend my days homeschooling, adventuring with my family and growing with Him, constantly in awe of what He has done in our lives.