Passage: Isaiah 40:29-31
Key Verse: He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.
The end of the chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah is a fresh air of hope and strength. The weary will be strengthened, the tired will run. It seems as a no-brainer for any Christian to follow. Wait on the Lord and you will soar. He will guide you to new heights. He will strengthen your weak muscles.
I don’t know about you, but I find it so hard to stand still. My ever busy mind and body charge me to go, to do, to be the one who makes it happen. I did not know this until I met my Savior at 25, but the hardest thing to give up was the one thing He absolutely required of me: the driver’s seat of my life. I stumbled and fell and still stumble and fall with this one simple task God gave me from the very beginning. “Stand still and KNOW that I am God” Psalm 46:10. Wait.
We all have read Isaiah 40:31 before. We’ve seen it on bumper stickers, on picture frames. The truth of its content resounds in our ever impatient 21st century Christian lives. But as you go back to the beginning of the chapter, you will see that the Author did not challenge you to wait before laying down the foundation for our trust in Him. He fills this passage with solid reasons for which we must learn to wait.
1) We are His children – He has chosen out of love alone to redeem us to Himself through His Son’s sacrifice. As the loving Father that He is, He will always watch over us. (v.2)
2) Men are like grass – and grass withers and falls when the breath of God brows on them (v.6-7). Therefore we should not fear what people may do to us. Do not get ahead of God by fear of what men may or may not do to you.
3) He tends His flock like a shepherd (v.11) – Like a loving Father, He will care for you, provide for you and lead you gently in the way you should go. However, if you watch a shepherd lead his sheep, you will see that the sheep do not fight Him. As the shepherd nudges them to move one way or the other, the sheep willingly follow.
And when you are vulnerable like a small lamb, He will carry you close to His heart. Just as the sheep, we also should willingly submit to God’s direction as He shows us the way we should go.
4) Starting on verse 12, God charges us regarding the greatness of who He is. Who shall dare say no to Him? Who instructed the Lord? Who shall not tremble at His command? What is too big or too hard for Him? Who is more powerful than Him? He removes obstacles, removes kingdoms, and has control over everything. As we watch and meditate on the greatness of the God who raised His Son from the dead, our souls should be filled with unwavering faith.
As we see God’s awesomeness and power, we cannot forget the truth of who He is to US, His children. He is our Father, who controls everything, who knows each star by name and knows exactly where we are in our lives. He knows your problems and the urgency of your concerns. He will never be late. But He will, most of the time, make you wait.
But remember, as you wait, He is strengthening your wings. You will learn how to fly higher and reach new places where you never dreamed you would be. And as you look back, you will see that trial by trial, He made your spiritual muscles stronger and your spirit more sensitive to His ways. And you will never, ever be the same.
