“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.” Isaiah 40:31
Have you ever been really, really tired? So tired that you could cry? I have – on more than one occasion. Exhaustion does not feel good; sleep does.
Have you ever been really, really tired of life? Does watching the news overwhelm you? Are your finances tenuous at best? Are you ready for it all to be over? Do you cry, “Lord Jesus, just come!”? Again, I have – on more than one occasion!
I have a picture over my desk of a soaring eagle with Isaiah 40:31 under it. It is a great reminder of what I need to do when life’s circumstances overwhelm me. I simply need to wait. What? No, really, I just need to wait. The Hebrew word translated wait means to ‘look for, expect, hope.’ For whom do I need to look, expect and hope? Jesus. When I anticipate His coming, I am strengthened by His nearness. I expect His return, and it encourages me. So much so, that I can feel His strength fill me and enable me to soar above my circumstances. I know that at any moment He can sound the trumpet and call me into His presence. O, what a joy that will be!
He is our only real source of strength. He is a well that never runs dry. This is why when we look for Him, we are given His ability and strength to endure what seems to be at times a never ending marathon. The strength He gives us is the same strength that kept Him on the cross enduring the pain and the shame of our sin. It is also the strength that resurrected Jesus and in turn gives new life to all who place their faith in Him.
Both my father and brother were small aircraft pilots. I was only ever allowed to go up with my brother once because of my mom’s fears. While in the air, I remember Billy asking me to identify where we were. I had no idea; everything looked so different from overhead. We were actually flying right over our home, and I could not recognize it! I’ll never forget that experience. Like them, I have an affinity for aviation. I would love to learn to be a pilot, but out of love for my mom, I have never pursued it. I hope to learn to fly after I am crash proof – after the rapture and during the millennial reign of Jesus. All that aside, flying changes our perspective, and so does receiving the Lord’s strength. As I put my hope in Him, I am lifted up to see life from His perspective and empowered by Him to press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The Lord saw fit to give me exercise-induced asthma. This means that I have to be very careful not to ‘overheat.’ When I run to the point of raising my body temperature too high, not only will I sweat profusely, but I will also trigger a severe asthma attack. As a result, I could never pursue playing organized sports in school even though I wanted to participate. Again, I look forward to the day when my new body won’t have this problem, and I will be able to run and walk as far as I want. For now, I have to stay within certain physical parameters in order to avoid an asthma attack. Spiritually, Jesus gives me all that I need to run and walk in His strength the race that He has set before me. It is only when I look upon Him that I will have His endurance. Jesus wants to run the race through me. So, as I choose to set my mind on His strength in me and flowing through me, I experience His enduring strength no matter what circumstances I am facing.
Are you waiting for the Lord, hoping for and expecting His return? When you do, you will be amazed at His strength as He fills you and enables you to soar with Him, run with Him and walk with Him on the path He has chosen for you!