God with us - Week 25: Isaiah 40:31
Anyone else a little weary at the moment?
I gave up drinking caffeinated coffee a while ago, but I’ve ditched the decaff a few times this week to get a much-needed boost of energy. It’s been a long year, and we’re only in June!
Our Bible verse for this week offers precisely what many of us need at the moment, a significant dose of strength rather than caffeine!
But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
As you know, I usually spend a lot of time delving into the context of the ‘God with us’ verse, but I wanted to take it at face value and, more importantly, for us to take it personally. In last week’s blog, we read the promise that God would provide an escape from the ordinary temptations of life. One of the strongest temptations I have to deal with, especially when I’m weary, is the temptation to give up or to question the point of what I’m doing! It gets me every time and is usually a sign that I’ve gone into self-sufficiency mode. I try harder, dig deeper and keep pushing as if sheer will can get me through.
How about you?
Pause for a moment and reflect on this question:
What are the red flags that let you know that you are running on your own strength?
After looking at different translations of this verse, three words provide the key to the new strength promised by God.
Hope
Trust
Wait
But those who…
Hope - a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen
Trust - a firm belief in the reliability or ability of someone or something
Wait - to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event
But those who hope, trust, and wait in the Lord will be strengthened.
I tend to…
hope in God while preparing myself for the worst
trust in God while formulating my backup plan
wait on God while trying to second-guess what will happen next.
If we go back just a few verses, then God preempts this kind of response. He says to Israel:
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s the Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
Isaiah 40:27-31
If strength is in short supply, then keep returning to these verses this week.
Place your hope in God, believing He will renew your strength.
Place your trust in His power, and His strength will sustain you.
Wait on God, who doesn’t come and go; He lasts.
Hope, trust and wait for the God who is with us always and He will renew your strength.
Kay Moorby
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