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Hit the Nail Right on the Head!

I shouldn’t be surprised, but sometimes I am.

I read the Word of God and there’s something there that seems to hit the nail on the head of what I am feeling or going through.  Case in point: I recently read a passage with two words, weary and languishing, and I have to admit that I own them both, albeit reluctantly!

Weary: physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion or strain. 

Languishing:  to lose vitality, weaken, or suffer from being stuck in an unpleasant or neglected state.

I would hazard to guess that many of us have felt that physical weariness.  And I would also guess that a lot of us have felt like they were languishing physically.

But I would suggest that while we can feel those both physically, there are also times when we feel them mentally or even spiritually.  And that’s where Jeremiah 31:25 comes in, the verse where I read those two words:

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

In the context of that verse, it is God who satisfies and replenishes!  No surprise there but what exactly does it mean?

Satisfy is also translated, in some versions, as refresh.  The phrase to satisfy or refresh refers to restoration and renewal.   In addition, it carries the idea of bringing back vitality.  It is something that God does and is not conditioned upon our efforts or merit.

To replenish means to fill up again or to return what has been depleted.  It implies an ongoing supply of fresh strength.  And again, this is something that God does for us.

So, when my soul fees weary, God refreshes it.  When my soul languishes, God provides and ongoing supply of fresh strength.

The Bible Hub summarizes the meaning of the verse this way: “Jeremiah 31:25 offers an unshakable pledge; the Lord Himself steps in to revive inner lives drained by hardship.  He restores, fills and strengthens without partiality, turning weariness into fresh vitality for every believer who leans on Him.”

Wow, that does hit the nail on the head in regard to what I sometimes reluctantly own but more so, it hits the nail on the head as to who it is that can restore, refresh and replenish me.  And yes, it does mean that I need to lean on Him. 

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