“Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.” (NLT)
“Even the youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall.” (KJV)
Personal note: At almost 70, I “get this”. As a youth, I could stay up to all hours, find energy whenever I needed it, and accomplish great physical effort. I might have slowed down in my physiology, but inside, I’m stronger than ever. How is that? Decades of learning to yield to the Lord’s wisdom, taking my burdens to Him, trying to keep my heart pure, and believing in Him and His promises makes me stand in His strength. We understand weak, tired, faint, weary, but I was intrigued with stumble and fall. They are actually the same Hebrew word, kashal, meaning stagger, totter, fail, failing, and bring you down. Stumble is used to express intensity or certainty and fall is an incomplete action: past, present or future. (Food for thought.)
- Thank You, Lord, You are always there to pick us up when we fall. All we need to do is look up and take Your outstretched hand. Your faithful love endures forever. (Ps 136:12)
- You, Who are without age, understand our frailty. Our Jesus was tired. He was hungry. He was hurt and disappointed. But, thanks be to Your eternal plan, He was despised, rejected, and acquainted with grief, and suffered in our place. He rose and we will too. (Isaiah 53) Hallelujah!
- Father, in these days of confusion and generational division, You know our needs. Strengthen us. Lead us to an oasis of love and peace and certainty in You. And from that place, help us to guide and strengthen the younger generation.
- Encourage us to be a helping hand as an extension of Yours. As You lift our burdens, show us where we can lift burdens off others. Give us Your language of love to communicate with those who are weak and weary.
- Teach us how to be mothers and sisters, aunts and godmothers. Purify our hearts and thoughts. Help us to think outside the box of rules and the way things have always been done to find ways to lift their spirits, engage their faith, and show them a better way. (1 Tim 5:2)
- In the mighty name of Jesus, we bind confusion, false teaching and doctrines, and the rebellious spirit of this present age, we loose heaven’s power to fight every spirit that seeks to overthrow righteousness, peace and joy. May Your Kingdom come! (Rom 14:17)