Thursday, February 26 Jesus Is a Rock in a Weary Land

Scripture:

“Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:2

Hymn Focus:
“Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land…”

Lent is often described as a journey through wilderness and weariness. It is a season that asks us to face hard truths about ourselves and the world we inhabit. The spiritual “Jesus Is a Rock in a Weary Land” gives voice to the deep longing for shelter and strength when the road feels long and the land feels dry.

To call Jesus a rock is to speak of stability in a shifting world. A rock does not hurry us through our suffering, nor does it pretend the weariness is not real. Instead, it offers something solid to lean on. Lent invites us to stop striving for quick relief and to rest instead in the presence of Christ, who meets us in our fatigue and carries us through it.

The image of a “weary land” resonates deeply during Lent. We are tired—tired of conflict, loss, injustice, and our own repeated failures. Lent allows us to name that weariness honestly, without shame. The spiritual reminds us that God does not ask us to be strong on our own; God offers Christ as our refuge.

Scripture echoes this promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus does not remove us from the land we must walk through, but He becomes the shelter within it. In His life, suffering, and death, Jesus enters our weariness fully—and in doing so, redeems it.

As we move closer to the cross, we see that Jesus is not only a rock of protection, but also a rock of sacrifice. The One who gives us rest is the One who bears the weight of the world’s sin. Lent calls us to trust that even in the hardest terrain, God’s faithfulness remains unshaken.

This Lenten season, when the land feels weary and your strength feels thin, pause and lean into Christ. Let Him be your shelter, your foundation, and your hope.

Prayer

Faithful God,
In this weary land, we lean on You.
When our strength is gone and our hearts are heavy,
remind us that Jesus is our rock.
Hold us steady through the wilderness of Lent,
and lead us toward the promise of new life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.