“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”  Isaiah 50:4

When tragedy strikes, I find myself in conversations with heartbroken friends and feel at an utter loss to know what to say. I so desperately want to make the situation better but don’t have the means. And it’s easy to come off insensitive or preachy when you can’t relate to someone’s pain. So how can we “know the word that sustains the weary” as it says in Isaiah 50:4?

Regurgitating self-help from the internet or quotes from well-known authors and teachers may have some impact on them. But those words from imperfect, flawed humans can only go so far. The most helpful or persuasive words are the ones spoken by those who were taught by the Lord Himself.

That’s why it’s essential for us to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. The more we receive from Him, the more we have to give to others. It’s through our thoughtful and prayerful Bible study, reading, and quiet meditation that God speaks to our hearts. He gives us a “well-instructed tongue” so that we have something to share with those who are in the depths of despair.