The storm hits, and before you can find your footing, here comes another. Grief. Debt. Betrayal. Fatigue. Financial Strain. Spiritual dryness, Family turmoil. Silence from heaven. And just when you thought you couldn’t bleed any more—something else crashes in.
Ever felt like the enemy doesn’t just attack… he piles on?
This isn't just a hard day. It’s the day your strength breaks. The day your prayers feel like whispers lost in the wind. The day your hands go limp—not from rebellion, but from exhaustion. You aren’t running from God. You just don’t know how to keep going.
And then comes the question hell loves to whisper:
“Where is God now?”
The Courage to Not Collapse
Into that chaos, God speaks through a prophet to a battered king and a worn-out people:
“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV)
It is not a greeting card verse. It’s a battle cry.
Not a comfort for resignation—but a call to resistance.
The people of Judah had just heard a devastating truth: for a long season, Israel had been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law (v.3). Lawlessness reigned. Cities crushed. Travelers unsafe. Nations destroyed by nation. God Himself troubled them.
And in the middle of that terrifying landscape—God did not say "retreat."
He said: “But you, be strong.”
He draws a dividing line in history.
Yes, the times are evil. Yes, collapse is everywhere. Yes, your enemies are many and rising.
But you.
Not them.
You.
Let their hands hang limp. Let their faith shatter. Let their courage fail.
But you—be strong.
When the Work Feels Pointless
Some of you reading this feel the fatigue of obedience with no apparent result.
You fasted and your marriage still cracked.
You prayed and your child still walked away.
You served and the church still split.
You gave and the need only grew.
You tried—and you lost ground.
So now your hands hang by your side. Not in rebellion. In weariness.
You’re not Jonah running from the call—you’re Elijah under the tree, too tired to keep saying yes.
But God does not rebuke Elijah. He feeds him. Then He calls him forward.
And here, in 2 Chronicles, God does the same. He sees the hands drooping, the heart faint, the resolve fading. And He does not shame the tired. He summons them.
“Do not let your hands be weak.” (v.7)
The implication is clear: you can let them be. You can collapse. You can quit. You can walk off the field.
But the word of the Lord says:
Don’t.
Because Your Work Shall Be Rewarded
This is not the hollow promise of religious optimism.
God is not patting your head and hoping you’ll feel better.
He is declaring something eternal: “Your work shall be rewarded.” (v.7)
Shall. Not “might.” Not “if everything goes right.” Not “if people finally notice.”
This is divine certainty.
And what is this work He promises to reward?
It’s not success by human measurement.
It’s not comfort.
It’s not applause.
It’s faithfulness.
Holding the line when others retreat.
Building when no one sees.
Fighting when strength fails.
Obeying when it costs everything.
This is what God sees.
And He does not forget.
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love…” (Hebrews 6:10, NKJV)
Others may overlook you.
Hell may mock you.
Your own heart may question you.
But heaven remembers.
When Enemies Multiply
Read the full chapter. The reward didn’t come in a vacuum.
After the call to courage, Asa takes bold, painful action.
He cleanses the land of idols (v.8).
He repairs the altar (v.8).
He gathers the people back to God (v.9-10).
He leads the entire nation in covenant renewal (v.12).
He even removes his own mother from power because of her idolatry (v.16).
This was not symbolic obedience. It was costly, decisive, and courageous.
And what followed?
“And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.” (v.19)
Not immediately. But in time—peace came.
And here's what you must not miss:
Courage preceded victory.
Faithfulness preceded fruit.
The enemy wants you to believe the battle is proof you’re losing.
But sometimes, the war intensifies because you’re finally advancing.
Don’t mistake resistance for failure.
Don’t mistake exhaustion for the absence of God.
Sometimes, being outnumbered is the very moment God chooses to reveal His strength.
This Is Not the End
You’re tired.
But God is not.
You’re overwhelmed.
But God is not.
You feel outnumbered.
But God is never outmatched.
So hear this clearly:
This is not the end of your story.
You may feel buried, but God is planting you.
You may feel abandoned, but God is positioning you.
You may feel broken, but God is building something through the cracks that comfort never could.
And when the reward comes—and it will come—you will not regret the battle.
You will only regret how close you came to quitting.
Stand Up Again
God is not calling you to fake strength.
He is not asking you to pretend the load is light.
He is commanding you to stand up anyway—because He is your strength.
Let others fold.
Let others retreat.
Let others wallow.
But you—
Be strong.
Do not let your hands be weak.
Your work shall be rewarded.
Even now, the Spirit of God stands beside you—not to lecture, but to lift.
So rise.
Shake off the dust.
Pick up what you dropped.
Rebuild what you abandoned.
Obey what you postponed.
Not because you feel strong—
But because He is.
And because He has spoken:
"Your work shall be rewarded."
