When You Feel Depleted, Exhausted, and Discouraged

You will be Restored

(Part of the Caregiver Devotional Series)

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Isaiah 58:11

Often a season of caregiving begins with a difficult diagnosis for a loved one. In a moment, or perhaps slowly over the years, you see something that was good become unrecognizable. Whether it’s the expectations you had for a child that you now know will have a very different life. Or watching your parent go from capable to dependent. There is an element of something good being wiped away. Just as a wildfire can decimate a beautiful landscape, so too can a diagnosis scorch both your loved one, and the life you knew. But God makes beautiful promises in these dry and weary places.

God promises to “guide you continually”. It is not an accident that you are here. You didn’t make a wrong turn or upset the Lord. He purposefully led you here and is continually guiding you through.

God also promises to “satisfy your desire” in these places and “make your bones strong”. Your needs will be met. It can be tempting to follow the wisdom of the age that says we need to care for ourselves, prioritize boundaries, and live to accomplish our own goals. But God promises that he will satisfy us. He will care for us even as our boundaries are crossed by needy loved ones, and our own strength is depleted as we care for another.

Another promise is to make you “like a watered garden”, and “like a spring whose waters do not fail”. God says that he will transform this scorched land and create beauty from the ashes. Not only that but he will make you a refreshment for others who find themselves in a similar wasteland. As you press into Jesus and allow him to care for you, you will be a source of encouragement to others. Your pain has purpose.

Whether you’re refilling a prescription, repeating a conversation, keeping vigil by the bedside, or advocating for better care – the Lord is guiding you, sustaining you, and transforming you. This season may feel like a wasteland but keep your eyes open, notice the ways God is caring for you, and know that you will be restored.