Isaiah 40:31 “But
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint.”
This week, Michael writes that the end of Isaiah 40 is a
refreshing thought from the Word of God. According to verse 8 of this
chapter, “The grass withers, the flowers
fade but the Word of God abides forever.” This message was for Israel,
God's chosen people. They continued the cycle of peace, blessing, victory and
plenty. Then they would become complacent and intermarry with the heathen pagan
nations. When they turned their back on God, the Lord allowed their enemies to
defeat them. When they returned back to God in their distress, God would have
mercy on them. The cycle would continue. Israel became distracted by
wealth, peace and prosperity. God would allow them to be defeated so that
they could return back to him.
In the Old Testament, there were only a few examples of people
of God who faithfully walked with God. Others continued in this cycle of
prosperity, complacency, defeat, repentance, and renewal. Despite the vicious
cycles of our relationship with our Lord, God is still Sovereign overall. After
all, He numbered the stars of the heaven. According to Isaiah, the nations are next
to nothing in His eternal perspective. Compared to the vastness of God's
creation, the question is "Who am I Oh Lord, that thou art mindful of
me?"
Most men and women are the centers of their own worlds.
They become anxious and frustrated when their "rights" are
violated. However, the scripture says, "humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in
due time." Humility is the key to receiving anything from God. In
times of scarcity, silence, and drought, these are the times God teaches us to
abide with Him and within Him. He teaches us faithfulness through the lean
times. As Mother Theresa said, "God
works best with nothing." We learn His mercy, grace, compassion
and the meaning of humility when "we
must decrease so that He may increase."
Isaiah 40:28-29 “Have
you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the
Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His
understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those
who have no might He increases strength.”
The devil will tell us that God didn't answer our prayer
because He doesn't care. He will also say that God is not powerful enough
to accomplish it. He says, "God is beyond understanding so you might as
well just give up." However, every problem is inversely proportional to
the power required to overcome it. How big is your God? He gives
power to the weak and increases His strength when we reach the end of our own
limited ability. As the Lord said to the Apostle Paul in 2
Corinthians 12:9, “My grace
is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
The ultimate freedom is the ultimate
surrender. Those who wait, trust and hope in the Lord shall renew their
strength. Security is putting your faith and hope in that which cannot be
taken away. Jesus said, "I will
never leave you nor forsake you." In times of adversity, you will understand
what really matters. The question through adversity is "Lord, what are you teaching me through this
trial?" A passage from the devotional "Come Away With Me"
reads, "When you acknowledge that
you have no control over any situation in life, you must empty your own plans
so that he can fill you with His purpose and His will. Adversity will
make you an example of putting your trust in His Sovereign will."
The conclusion is in Isaiah 40:31, "Therefore, they who wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall
run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint."
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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