“[God] gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength
[causing it to multiply and making it to abound].”
(Isaiah 40:29 AMP)
On Sunday our pastor preached from Isaiah 40:28-31:
“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.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on 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.” (NKJV)
The word “weariness” caught my attention. He said that tiredness is not the same as weariness. Weariness “sits on your soul” and often includes discouragement and depression – you have to fight it off with God’s power. That same morning I had written a blog post saying that I was weary from the season I am in. After the sermon I had to readjust my thinking – I am tired in several ways, but I am grateful to not be fighting (full) discouragement or depression. They haunt the edges of me, but are not true predators right now. However, I have friends that are struggling with discouragement, depression, and deep weariness. These enemies prowl like roaring lions – or laughing hyenas – or threatening wolves – looking for someone to devour.
The definitions of “weary” are various: feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep (“he gave a long, weary sigh”), reluctant to see or experience any more of; tired of (“she was weary of their constant arguments“), calling for a great amount of energy or endurance; tiring and tedious (“the weary journey began again“). Even strong people can become tired and weary; none of us is immune to it. Weariness can be like a quagmire or quicksand that pulls you down and its only remedy is the strong rope whose other end God holds. When we grab hold of that spiritual rope, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the all-powerful GOD, is on the other end.
Isaiah said that the Lord is the everlasting God who will not grow tired or weary, and that he gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. When Isaiah says that those who HOPE in the Lord will renew their strength, this “hope” is not the hope for a special Christmas present or winning the lottery or for a sports team to win. The word for “hope” in the Hebrew language literally means “to exchange.” God offers for us to exchange our weakness for his strength.
Sit with that for a moment: God wants for us to exchange our weakness for his strength.
Breathe that in: Give him your weakness – whether large or small – and he’ll give you his strength.
Let God’s strength sink into your soul and encourage you no matter what you are facing today. God’s promise is that, “Those who wait on 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.”
Exchange your weariness for God’s strength.
Elohim, Strong God,
Today we approach your throne of Glory with gratitude that you are Elohim, our Strong God, whose thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. Thank you for the reminder that your strength is available to us when we ask for it. Thank you that even when it seems the enemy of our soul is prowling around us with weariness, discouragement, depression, and grief, we can call out to you for rescue. Protect us from the roaring lions, laughing hyenas, or threatening wolves of this life and help us to hold tightly to your Goodness, Mercy, and Grace. Remind us that, when we ask, you will exchange our weariness for your strength. Then we can run and not be weary, walk and not faint, because you are our abounding Strength. Help us to seek out others to encourage and build up, and to give them hope in you, our Lord and Savior. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)
“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)
““For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)
“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)
(Definitions from Oxford Languages)
“On Eagles’ Wings” by Michael Joncas from Psalm 91
“Wait on You” – Maverick City & Elevation Worship
“The Solid Rock” recorded by Susan Quintyne