Pressure Pointsნიმუში

These Creaking Bones

Our human bodies can be pretty unpredictable at times. Any adult knows that it can take just one awkward night’s sleep to leave you with a stiff neck for days! Some days your bones feel like they’re creaking before you’ve even started. It can be frustrating, but we tend to soldier on and accept these things as part of life.

At other times, things can get more serious. We receive a concerning diagnosis, or a colleague’s health takes a downward turn, or a beloved family member is given a certain amount of months left to live. One of the heaviest burdens we carry is concern for our health and the health of those we love. It’s exhausting, and puts strain on our joy and peace.

But in that place, God is present.

Isaiah tells us that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…” Why eagles?

Eagles are able to soar on rising currents of air, carried upward without constant effort. They don’t have to flap—they simply lock their wings and are lifted.

When it comes to health concerns, I confess that I’m often more like a pigeon than an eagle. I panic, I flap, I try to take control, and I exhaust myself in the process. But God invites me to something different—not to ignore reality, but to trust Him with it.

Jesus heals. We saw it when He walked the earth, and we still see it today. He cares about our bodies, and prayer changes things. Sometimes it happens straight away, and that’s amazing. But sometimes it doesn’t.

In those times, we can feel pressure to “drum up enough faith” or to hold it together. We can worry that we must’ve upset God somehow, or that we’re too unworthy to receive His healing touch. More flapping.

But that’s the yoke of the world talking. The yoke of Jesus says, “Come to Me when you’re weak, and let Me carry you.”

No matter what state our bodies are in, it’s a burden that belongs with Jesus. No matter how much we pray, or how much faith we muster, we can’t ultimately control our health—or someone else’s.

God can! And the burden is His, not ours.

We can, like the apostle Paul, take heart knowing that even when “outwardly we are wasting away”, “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Renewal doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from depending deeper.

Let’s wait on Him and have our strength renewed like the eagle’s today.

Let’s Pray
Lord God, You know the worries that I have about my health and the people I love. I hand those burdens over to You now. Bring Your healing, Your peace, and Your strength in the name of Jesus. I trust You, and I find my rest in You. Renew me from the inside out, even when I feel worn down. Amen.