Week 22: Isaiah 40: 30-31

Isaiah 40: 30,31: Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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.

• These verses contrast the weaknesses of Man to the Almighty God.  From last week we saw five aspects of God in the two verses, and this week we see how God sustains the weaknesses of men.  This is a very popular promise verse from the bible, and I can see why.  We're promised renewal and strength via God!
• They who wait for the Lord.  Notice that it doesn't say that everyone will be strengthened, but only those that wait for the Lord.  This, to me, says that we must persevere through our lives, giving it all that we can, and knowing that we'll grow exhausted and fatigued.  We give everything because Jesus gave everything.  Plus, by running ourselves weary for God, we're essentially saying, "I will become weak so that His power will be perfected in my weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)  We're putting our trust in Him to provide for us, because we know that we can't.  And God loves to come through in the clutch and use us when we're feeling useless.
• If we're living like Jesus, by the Spirit, and for God's glory, then this lifestyle should become normal to us.  Our human bodies will deteriorate and fail, but God will provide us strength to endure and spread the gospel.  He gives Living Water, which quenches our thirst and quickens our spirit, enabling us to finish the race and grow more dependent on Him.
• Humorously, in high school I would quote this verse when I was getting tired running laps in gym class.  Over and over I would recite this, using it like a mantra, taking it literally that I would run and not be weary.  While this certainly could be a literal application for the verse, I'm pretty sure that's also not what this is talking about.  Still, I think it's funny.