here to help and encourage students sensing a
call to ministry
Soar Like an Eagle
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 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." Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
We have all experienced the feeling of being very tired and weary. At times we feel we do not have the strength to continue. This weariness can be physical, emotional and even spiritual. When this happens, I feel lonely and sad. Also, I feel weary and that I cannot go on. When we are weary like this what do we need? First we need comfort, then strength. In our spiritual lives this is very true as well. We need to be comforted, strengthened and renewed. Our spiritual life impacts all that we do and all that we are. If our spiritual life is renewed, then all of our life will be renewed.
Verse 28 is a summary of what is being communicated in vs 1-26. Here we learn that God will never grow tired or weary. God has no need for rest. His understanding is deeper then the deepest ocean. God will never fail us.
Often people ask, "How are you?" I answer, "I am tired." Why is that? I am working out of weakness---out of my own strength which does not last.
Verse 29 tells us something new. It is God who changes your weakness into strength, and this strength is not our human strength, but God's strength. This is the key to our understanding this truth. God is the strength giver. It is His strength we need. Verse 30 reminds us that even strong youths will grow weary and tired.
How does this work? How do we receive God's strength? First, we need to be in a relationship with God through Christ. We need to turn our lives over to Him and receive forgiveness of our sins. Verse 31 tells what is next. We must have hope and wait. We need to submit to God's timetable and His plans for us. When we are in line with God, His spirit will renew our strength to accomplish His desires for our lives.
We can experience what happens when we wait on the Lord and allow His spirit to renew us. We will "soar on wings like eagles." We begin to do things beyond ourselves. Eagles use the wind to fly and hardly flap their wings. This is the picture of how God can work in our lives if we allow Him to do so.
"Run and never grow weary" means the race never stops, but we will not grow weary if we run in His strength.
"Walk and not faint." These words tell us that our adversity may cause us to faint. But in God's strength you will not faint, even in adverse conditions.
Isaiah tells us we need to be following God's call and living in God's strength in order not to grow spiritually tired or weary. God's strength will carry us through life's circumstances. This promise is the greatest hope we have as Christians: the renewal of strength and God's tender care for us. How will you respond today? Through these truths, how will your spiritual life be changed? Take time to pray for God's strength so you can be about what He has called you to do.
- Mark, Houston