Strength for the Weary

Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas is senior minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., and Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and author of many books, including How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home, Calvin’s Teaching on Job, Strength for the Weary, and, with Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Ichthus: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Saviour.

"Some Christians (and pastors) excel in afflicting the comforted while others comfort the afflicted. Few have the grace to do both. The prophet Isaiah was one of those who could, and reading these pages based on his great prophecies will convince you that Dr. Derek Thomas has learned to be another. Here is a spiritual treat, giving us both an exalted view of the majesty of God and a deep sense that Christ’s grace is sufficient for all our needs. Strength for the Weary is simply a feast of good things—truly nourishing spiritual fare, skillfully prepared and lovingly presented."

"Derek Thomas is one of the few men in the world who can blend the highest degree of biblical and theological scholarship together with the most insightful, practical, and pastoral wisdom and grace and do it in such a way that everyone can understand and benefit from it. Strength for the Weary is Derek Thomas at his best. If you are a Christian, you can be sure that you will experience struggle and opposition in this life. Jesus told us it would be so. That is why you need to read this book. And, as you do, you will find your heart warmed, your soul encouraged, your mind expanded, and your faith strengthened. You will find the help that you need as you strive to walk by faith and not by sight in every situation of your life."

"One of the things I have long admired about Derek Thomas is the deliberate way he seeks to comfort weary Christians with clear biblical teaching. Drawing from select passages in Isaiah, Dr. Thomas combines the insights of a theologian, the skill of a preacher, and the concern of a pastor in a devotional book written for the purpose of encouraging downtrodden pilgrims. I needed this book. I suspect you do as well. Reading these straightforward but carefully crafted meditations on God’s Word may not provide immediate relief from your pain. But this book will direct you to the God of all comfort. For that reason, Derek Thomas’ Strength for the Weary is a much-needed resource for finding lasting rest in a world of constant sorrow."