Isaías 40
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon: Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us.
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon writes that… Everything comes to the man who can wait. It is only a matter of time. Patience beholds great wonders. In spiritual things, if we watch and wait, we shall see glorious things. God waits to be gracious, and the gracious wait on God. God, who feeds his ravens, will feed his doves. Knock at mercy's gate, but wait till it opens to you. Too many prayers are a sort of runaway knock, for they are not attended with expectant waiting upon God. Fret not in a hurry. Tarry a bit and see what time will do. "The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it."—James 5:7. In spiritual things we must learn to wait patiently. "Our husbandmen for harvest wait and stay; Oh, let not any saint do less than they!" Patient waiters are no losers. Everything comes to the man who is able to wait for it. With patience I the storm sustain, For sunshine still doth follow rain. Pray and stay are words for every day. Good words and wise. Practise both. Worship and wait. God's answers are not always immediate. His delays are not denials. Erskine rightly says:— I'm heard when answered soon or late; And heard when I no answer get: Yea, kindly answer'd when refused, And treated well when harshly us'd. A W Tozer writes… As children of God, we can always afford to wait. A saint of God does not have to be concerned about time when he is in the will of God. It is the sinner who has no time. He has to hurry or he will go to hell, but the Christian has an eternity of blessedness before him. Adrian Rogers on "waiting"… you've got to learn to wait upon the Lord. Now what does that mean? I'm going to tell you in a moment, but I'm going to tell you what it doesn't mean, first of all. It does not mean inactivity. It does not mean sitting around, saying, "Well, I'm waiting on God. If He wants to do something, He can." No, no, no, no. Listen. In the olden days when a boy was courting a girl, do you know what the old timers would say? They'd say, "That young man's waiting on that young lady." What did he mean by that? It means he's pursuing her. He's pursuing her. He's waiting on her. I'll guarantee you that was not inactivity. Now he may have been waiting on her to fix her face or something, but that's not what they meant by that. He is pursuing her. He is, he's waiting on her. FOUR WAYS OF WAITING ON THE LORD Let me tell you four things it means to wait on the Lord and we'll be finished. (1) First, waiting on the Lord means to long for the Lord. Look at Psalm 62:1. David says "My soul waits upon God; from Him cometh my salvation." David is in distress. David has some industrial-strength problems, and he's saying, "O God, I need You. You are my hope, my salvation." Do you believe that, sir, or do you believe that you are your salvation? Do you believe that you can read some book by some business guru or some pop psychologist? I'm telling you that you need to long for God. You need God! You need God! (amen). To wait upon God means to long for Him. That's what David said. (2) Not only does waiting mean to long for the Lord, but it means to listen to the Lord. Here's a great verse. This is one for the refrigerator door. Proverbs 8:34: "Blessed is the man that hears Me [now underscore that, that hears me], watching daily at my gates, waiting, waiting at the posts of my doors." Waiting at the posts of my doors. He who hears Me. He's waiting. That is, he has reported for instruction. He's there at the gate when the Lord comes out, like a servant. "Good morning, my Master. Here I am reporting for duty. I'm at Your gates, Lord. I am listening at the posts of Your doors. As you step out the door this morning, what do You have for me this morning as I open the door of the morning and enter into your service? I want to hear from You." The reason that many of us are stressed is we're doing things God's never assigned us to do. And the reason we're doing things God never assigned us to do is we haven't been listening to God. We have not been waiting upon the Lord. Do you have a daily quiet time? He says, "… waiting daily at my gates… " Do you have a time when you listen? Do you "report for duty," or are you doing things that you've assigned yourself, or others have assigned you, but you're not doing what God wants you to do?" Now what does it mean—see if you can remember. First of all, to long for the Lord. Secondly, to listen to the Lord. Now let me tell you the third thing that it means. Ah, and, o, before, before I leave this thing of listening, let me tell you a story I shared with the earlier congregation. It's a wonderful story. Back during the Great Depression… Jobs were very hard to get. And, so a newspaper advertised for a telegraph company needing somebody as a telegraph operator. And they communicated through the telegraph. And this man said, "I can do that. I'm trained for that." And he went down to apply for the job. He was so happy. When he got there, the outer office, was filled with people who had come there to try to get that one job. This man was so discouraged. He thought to himself, "They were all here before me. Someone will be hired even before I get interviewed." But as he said that to himself, he heard a noise coming out of the, back room, and as he listened, he recognized it. It was the dots and the dashes of the Morse Code—dot, dot, dash, dash, etc. He listened. Then a smile came across his face. He got up and went in the inner office, came back with an even wider smile, and said, "I've got the job!" They said, "Wait a minute! How could you have the job? We were here first." He said, "But you weren't listening." He said, "In Morse Code they said, 'If you can understand this, come inside. You've got the job'". That's how the company separated the room full of men to be interviewed. There was a man just sitting there but he was tuned in. I wonder how many people are missing opportunities, because they are missing what the "Great Telegraph Operator" is saying in code (dot, dot, dash, dash). In short, they are not listening to God. What does to wait on the Lord mean? It means to long for the Lord. It means to listen to the Lord. 3) Waiting on the Lord means to look to the Lord. In Psalm 104:27, speaking of the animals, the beast of the field. "These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give them their food in due season." The little animals, they look to the Lord by instinct. They all wait upon thee, O God. They are looking to thee. Do you look to the Lord? I mean, where is the source of your supply? Have you ever said, "Lord, You are, indeed, the strength of my life, and You are the source of my supply You are my hope and my expectation, and I truly believe that every need will be met in You?" Now look, folks. Someone has said that a college lecture is where the information that is in the professor's head and the professor's notebook gets into the notebook of the student without really going through the head and the heart of either one of them. Are you listening? You say, "Yeah, pastor, yeah, sure, I need to long for the Lord. I need to listen to the Lord. I'm to look to the Lord. Yeah, I know that." But are you really listening? Do you really long for Him? Do you have a time when you really listen to Him? Do you really look to Him? I mean, will you say it and mean it, "God, You are the source of my supply. You, my God, will supply all my needs according to your riches in glory." (Php 4:19) Waiting on the Lord means to look to the Lord. Look to Him. Not to look to anybody else, but to look to the Lord. 4) And here is the clincher… Waiting on the Lord means to live for the Lord. Let me give you the verse that points that out and makes that true. Proverbs 27:18: "Whoso keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof; so he that waits on his master shall be honored." Now what does it mean to wait on your master? It means to serve him. When you go to the restaurant, you have a waitress or a waiter. They're there to serve you. And, by the way, have you ever noticed sometime how hard it is to get their attention? You want another cup of coffee, or you dropped your fork, or you need a napkin, or you want to pay your bill. You can't get their attention. An epitaph of a waittress' tombstone, "God finally got her attention. God finally caught her eye." What is it? Now listen. They are there to serve you, to wait upon you. And they are there for whatever you require. Do you want God to give you strength to fly like an eagle? Do you want God to give you strength to run like an athlete? Do you want God to give you strength to walk like a soldier day by day? I ask why? Why should God give me more strength to serve the devil? (amen). I mean, if I don't intend to wait upon Him, if I'm not His waiter, if I'm not His server, if I'm not there for His glory, why should God give me strength to glorify the devil? (amen). What does it mean to wait upon the Lord? To wait upon the Lord means to long for the Lord, to listen to the Lord, to look to the Lord, and to live for the Lord. "WAITING" IN THE SEPTUAGINT The Septuagint translates qavah in Isaiah 40:31 with the Greek verb hupomeno [ word study] which is derived from hupó = under, as in under the rule of someone + méno = to abide or remain (see also study of noun hupomone) and means literally to remain under not simply with resignation, but with a vibrant hope. The present tense and active voice pictures this remaining under as one's continual practice, continually willing to yield one's will to Jehovah and abide under (and in) His good and acceptable and perfect will. The idea of enduring is not just to "grin and bear it" but to remain under trials in a such a way that we glorify God (Mt 5:16-note) as we learn the lessons the trials are meant to teach us, instead of seeking ways to get out from under (cf the prefix preposition "hupo" = under) the trials and be relieved of the pressure. And so waiting is not passive (not simply "letting go and letting God") but involves our participation as for example "participating" by praying while we patiently wait. As John Blanchard rightly says… Waiting for an answer to prayer is often part of the answer. Peter Marshall offers this prayer for impatient believers… Teach us, O Lord, the discipline of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. Wayne Detzler recounts an amazing true life example of Christian perseverance writing that… True Christian perseverance is not tied to tenacity. It is rather the work of God the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. The starch in a saint's spine is shown by Scripture to be nothing less than the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Only in this way can one explain the work of Gladys Aylward, a London parlor maid. Societies scorned her missionary application. She seemed too dull to master Chinese and fulfill her vision of serving in China. Realizing this, she scoured up her own fare to China and sailed in 1930. After slogging her way across Siberia she reached her field in remote Yangcheng. When the Japanese invaded in 1940 she led 100 children on an epic journey that caught the imagination of Hollywood (Ed: Watch the movie about her life - The Inn of the Sixth Happiness or DVD). In 1947 failing health forced her back to England where she crusaded for missions until her death in 1970. That was tenacity, not just British grit. It is God's persevering grace. (Detzler, Wayne E: New Testament Words in Today's Language. Victor. 1986) Another great example of a Christian who endured (persevered) under trials in a God honoring way is William Wilberforce (biography in Wikipedia or short bio in Christian History) the 19th-century parliamentarian, who was moved by the Lord to oppose the lucrative but humanly degrading slave trade. In 1807 Wilberforce brought about the banning of the slave trade in England but it was not until 1833 was slavery as an institution abolished, this news reaching Wilberforce even as he lay on his deathbed. Talk about persevering! Thomas Brooks wrote this exhortation on waiting… Waiting souls, remember this:—assurance is yours, but the time of giving it is the Lord's; the jewel is yours, but the season in which he will give it is in his own hand; the golden chain is yours, but he only knows the hour wherein he will put it around your necks. Well, wait patiently and quietly, wait expectantly and believingly, wait affectionately, and wait diligently, and you shall find that scripture made good with power upon your souls, "Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (He 10:17). The mercies of God are not styled the swift, but the sure mercies of David; and therefore a gracious soul patiently waits for them. As someone has said life is a symphony, and we lose a third of it by cutting out the slow movement. Francis Burkitt wrote that… The hand of faith never knocked in vain at the door of heaven. Mercy is as surely ours as if we had it, if we have but faith and patience to wait for it. OTHER INSTANCES OF WAITING IN ISAIAH Waiting is a repetitive thought in Isaiah as shown by the following passages (and the fact that 1/3 of the OT uses of the verb qavah are used by Isaiah)… (Isaiah 25:9) And it will be said in that day (At the beginning of the Messiah's Millennial Kingdom), "Behold (interjection used to arouse or heighten the reader's attention), this is our God for Whom we have waited (qavah - waited with eager expectation and steadfast endurance which is a manifestation of their genuine saving faith and expresses their confidence that Messiah will save them; Lxx translates it with the verb elipzo = to look forward to something transpiring in the future, with the implication that one is confident the event will come to pass, and so includes the sense of counting on something, expecting it, awaiting its arrival) that He might save us. This is the LORD for Whom we have waited (qavah); Let us rejoice (Lxx = agalliao = exceedingly joyful, "jumping for joy" is the the idea!) and be glad in His salvation." Comment: Those who express their eager and patient waiting for Jehovah are the saved Jewish remnant who will enter into Messiah's Millennial Kingdom at which time there will be great rejoicing over His salvation.
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon: Wait at His door with prayer; wait at His foot with humility; wait at His table with service; wait at His window with expectancy. Suitors often win nothing but the cold shoulder from earthly patrons after long and obsequious waiting; he speeds best whose patron is in the skies. Be of good courage (Be strong). A soldier's motto. Be it mine. Courage we shall need, and for the exercise of it we have as much reason as necessity, if we are soldiers of King Jesus. And he shall strengthen thine heart. He can lay the plaster right upon the weak place. Let the heart be strengthened, and the whole machine of humanity is filled with power; a strong heart makes a strong arm. What strength is this which God himself gives to the heart? Read the "Book of Martyrs," and see its glorious deeds of prowess; go to God rather, and get such power thyself. Wait, I say, on the Lord. David, in the words "I say," sets his own private seal to the word which, as an inspired man, he had been moved to write. It is his testimony as well as the command of God, and indeed he who writes these scanty notes has himself found it so sweet, so reviving, so profitable to draw near to God, that on his own account he also feels bound to write, "Wait, I SAY, on the Lord." For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno) for the LORD, they will inherit the land… 34 Wait for (qavah = Imperative mood = not a suggestion, a command; Lxx = hupomeno) the LORD (Jehovah), and keep His way (two commands - conditional portion of the promise), and He will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. (Ps 37:9, 34 - Psalm of David) Spurgeon: Verse 34. Wait on the Lord. We have here the eighth precept, and it is a lofty eminence to attain to. Tarry the Lord's leisure. Wait in obedience as a servant, in hope as an heir, in expectation as a believer. This little word "wait" is easy to say, but hard to carry out, yet faith must do it. I waited patiently for (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno) the LORD (Jehovah); and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1 - For the choir director. A Psalm of David) Spurgeon: I waited patiently for the Lord. Patient waiting upon God was a special characteristic of our Lord Jesus. Impatience never lingered in His heart, much less escaped His lips. All through His agony in the garden, His trial of cruel mockings before Herod and Pilate, and His passion on the tree, He waited in omnipotence of patience. No glance of wrath, no word of murmuring, no deed of vengeance came from God's patient Lamb; He waited and waited on; was patient, and patient to perfection, far excelling all others who have according to their measure glorified God in the fires. Job on the dunghill does not equal Jesus on the cross. The Christ of God wears the imperial crown among the patient. Did the Only Begotten wait, and shall we be petulant and rebellious? I will give Thee thanks forever, because Thou hast done it, and I will wait on (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno) Thy name (Meditate on that thought - E.g., How can one wait upon God's "name"? What would be a prerequisite? See Name of the LORD, a Strong Tower), for it is good, in the presence of Thy godly ones. (Psalm 52:9 - note) Spurgeon: God shall still be the psalmist's hope; he will not in future look elsewhere. He whose name has been so gloriously made known in truth and righteousness, is justly chosen as our expectation for years to come. For it is good before thy saints. Before or among the saints David intended to wait, feeling it to be good both for him and them to look to the Lord alone, and wait for the manifestation of his character in due season. Men must not too much fluster us; our strength is to sit still. Let the mighty ones boast, we will wait on the Lord; and if their haste brings them present honour, our patience will have its turn by and by, and bring us the honour which excels. May those who wait (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno) for Thee not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts; May those who seek Thee not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, (Ps 69:6-note) Spurgeon: If he were deserted, others who were walking in the same path of faith would be discouraged and disappointed. Unbelievers are ready enough to catch at anything which may turn humble faith into ridicule, therefore, O God of all the armies of Israel, let not my case cause the enemy to blaspheme -- such is the spirit of this verse. Our blessed Lord ever had a tender concern for his people, and would not have his own oppression of spirit become a source of discouragement to them. (A Song of Ascents) I wait (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno) for the LORD, my soul does wait (qavah - Lxx = hupomeno), And in His word do I hope. (Psalm 130:5) Spurgeon: I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait. Expecting Him to come to me in love, I quietly wait for His appearing; I wait upon Him in service, and for Him in faith. For God I wait and for Him only: if He will manifest Himself I shall have nothing more to wait for; but until He shall appear for my help I must wait on, hoping even in the depths. This waiting of mine is no mere formal act, my very soul is in it, -- "my soul doth wait." I wait and I wait -- mark the repetition! "My soul waits", and then again, "My soul waits"; to make sure work of the waiting. It is well to deal with the Lord intensely. Such repetitions are the reverse of vain repetitions. If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people: they waited for the First Advent, and now they wait for the Second. They waited for a sense of pardon, and now they wait for perfect sanctification. They waited in the depths, and they are not now wearied with waiting in a happier condition. They have cried and they do wait; probably their past prayer sustains their present patience. Dan Fortner writes that… To Wait upon the Lord is– to know your need of Him! To believe Him! To commit yourself to Him! To walk by His direction in His will! (Isaiah 40:27-31 Hope Thou In God!) Father, I wait Thy daily will; Thou shalt divide my portion still; Grant me on earth what seems Thee best, Till death and heaven reveal the rest. Isaac Watts EXCHANGING NATURAL STRENGTH FOR SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH The LORD (03068) (YHWH = Yahweh = Jehovah [see study]) is the great "I Am". Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes—illumine me, Spirit divine! —Scott Will gain new strength - Literally they will keep putting on fresh strength. And from the context this is not natural strength for that strength could not accomplish the actions described in the last half of Isa 40:31. This "new strength" is God's supernatural empowerment. THE 100/100 PRINCIPLE Now think with me for a moment - Let me change the picture from an eagle to a pelican (I'm at the beach writing). As I was out yesterday I looked up and there were five pelicans seemingly motionless in the sky. The sea breeze was its usual 20 miles per hour. But what struck me was how effortless the birds floated in the breeze. And then the secret hit me -- they have do their part and God does His part. Their responsibility is to make sure their wings are spread out. It doesn't take much effort, but it is absolutely critical because unless they did their part, they could not be empowered by God's provision of wind power! And then I thought about us as believers -- God does His part providing us with the "powerful wind" of His indwelling Spirit (cf Jn 3:8), but we are still responsible to "spread our wings" so to speak and do our part if we desire to experience His powerful provision. Our part is to make the decision moment by moment to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Php 2:12-note) and God's part in us is to give us not only the power but even the desire to work out our salvation in fear and trembling! (Php 2:13NLT-note) Is it mysterious? Of course, the supernatural cannot be explained naturally, but it is still true and valid. Jerry Bridges calls this the "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible"! What a way to fly! See related resources - These studies describe the fascinating and pragmatic "exchange" of garments and weapons that occurs when one enters into covenant with the Everlasting God… Covenant: The Exchange of Robes Covenant: The Exchange of Armor and Belts Will gain new (02498) (chalaph/halap) means to pass on, go by or pass away (speaking of motion past); to change (eg, clothing), change for better (but sometimes for worse - Ge 31:7, 41), renew (make like new, restore to freshness). Chalaph means to pierce or strike through - in Jdg 5:26 and Job 20:24. Chalaph can convey the idea of changing clothes, taking off the old and putting on the new. In context of Isa 40:31 the meaning is figurative and speaks of "taking off" our weakness and exchanging it for God’s strength. A good exchange! Chalaph translated in NAS - change(2), changed(5), gain new(2), go(1), move past(1), over(1), passed(1), passes(1), pierce(1), pierced(1), renewed(1), replace(2), slip(1), sprout(1), sprouts anew(2), sweep(2), sweep through(1), vanish(1), violated(1). Here are the 27 uses… Genesis 31:7 "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. Genesis 31:41 "These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. Genesis 35:2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. Leviticus 27:10 'He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. Judges 5:26 "She reached out her hand for the tent peg, And her right hand for the workmen's hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple. 1 Samuel 10:3 "Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; 2 Samuel 12:20 So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. Job 4:15 "Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up. Job 9:11 "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. Job 9:26 "They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey. Job 11:10 "If He passes by or shuts up, Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him? Job 14:7 "For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. Job 20:24 "He may flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him. (cp Jdg 5:26) Job 29:20 'My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' Psalm 90:5 You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew (ESV = "like grass that is renewed"). 6 In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. Psalm 102:26 "Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change (Lxx = allasso) them and they will be changed (allasso). Song of Solomon 2:11 'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over (ended) and gone. Isaiah 2:18 But the idols will completely vanish. (pass away) Isaiah 8:8 "Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Isaiah 9:10 "The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars." Isaiah 21:1 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. Isaiah 24:5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated (overstepped, "went past", Young's Literal = "changed a statute") statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new (allasso) strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 41:1 "Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new (allasso) strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment. Habakkuk 1:11 "Then they (Babylonians invading Judah) will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god." The Septuagint translates chalaph with the verb allasso (word study) has the basic sense of to make something other than it is. It means to to change, to cause one thing to cease and another to take its place, to exchange one thing for another. The idea is to exchange one thing for another as in Romans 1 where it describes a bad exchange of the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Romans 1:23-note) Allasso is used to translate chalaph in Isaiah 41 in a phrase virtually identical to Isa 40:31… Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, and let the peoples gain (chalaph; Lxx = allasso) new strength (koah; Lxx = ischus [word study]); Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment. (Is 41:1)
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon comments: WHAT great condescension it is on God’s part that he should compare himself to anything that he has made, for the Creator must always be infinitely grander than the created (Ed: See the Creator's sovereignty over the eagle in Job 39:27!). Greater condescension still is it that the Eternal should liken himself to birds — to a bird of prey, and then to the familiar domestic fowl. He whom neither time nor space can compass, nor imagination conceive, yet speaks of fluttering with wings and covering with his feathers. Does not this assure us of the willingness of the Lord to reveal his love to us? Does it not prove his desire that we should understand his providential dealings with us? He does not aim at dazzling us by displaying his inconceivable glory, but his object is to comfort us by manifesting his gracious condescension. He uses these images that he may instruct our ignorance, and that our feeble minds may grasp those majestic truths which otherwise must remain veiled in mystery, sublime but incomprehensible. (For full article in The Sword and the Trowel on Deut 32:11 and Mt 23:37 click The Eagle and the Hen) John Piper Psalm 103:5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that (terms of conclusion should prompt a pause and a pondering = John Piper exhorts us to always query the text) your youth is renewed like the eagle. Comment: The renewal like the eagle might refer to to the phenomenon of molting, the process by which the eagle grows new feathers. See Spurgeon's sermon on Psalm 103:5 - Our Youth Renewed See Spurgeon's sermon on Psalm 103:5 - Owl or Eagle? Proverbs 23:5 When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For (Pause, ponder and query this term of explanation) wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle (terms of comparison simile) that flies toward the heavens. Nesher - 26v in OT - Ex. 19:4; Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12; 28:49; 32:11; 2Sam. 1:23; Job 9:26; 39:27; Ps. 103:5; Pr 23:5; 30:17, 19; Is 40:31; Jer 4:13; 48:40; 49:16, 22; Lam 4:19; Ezek. 1:10; 10:14; 17:3, 7; Hos. 8:1; Obad. 1:4; Mic. 1:16; Hab. 1:8 NIDOTTE writes that the eagle "plays a significant role in the description of Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory (Ezek 1:10; 10:14). In other passages vultures are used as metaphors for swiftness (2 Sam 1:23; Job 9:26; Jer 4:13; Lam 4:19), high-flying (Pr 23:5; Obad 4), soaring on wings (Job 39:27; Isa 40:31), ever-renewing might (Ps 103:5), pride (Jer 49:16; Obad 4), and atrociousness in attacking preys (Jer 48:40; 49:22; Hos 8:1; Hab 1:8)." (New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis) TWOT - The superb protection and care of the Lord for Israel is appropriately likened to that of a nešer (Ex 19:4–6; Deut 32:11–13). Their nests are built on inaccessible ledges with great skill, and the parent bird guards it with great ferocity sometimes by using its talons and beak. It also takes care of its young by shielding the nestlings from too much sun and warming them when a cold wind blows, and feeding them until they are large enough to fly. Then the parent stirs up the nest and lures the fledglings out of it for their first flight. Sometimes the adult birds hover over them and flutter encouragingly around them. When the poet, however, speaks of the nešer bearing the young, he is speaking phenomenologically, for the fledglings only appear to be carried at times on a parent’s wings but there is no reliable report of any bird actually flying with a smaller bird on its back. David likened the speed of Saul and Jonathan to the nešer and may have had in mind the golden eagle which pressing its wings against its sides, power dives from great heights upon its victim usually taking it by surprise and striking it dead in an instant with its powerful, sharp talons (II Sam 1:23). Jeremiah warned of a foe that would approach with the speed of an eagle (Jer 4:13; cf. Hab 1:8) and Job lamented that his days go by like an eagle swooping on its prey (Job 9:25–26). Timed by a stop watch a golden eagle chased by peregrine falcons achieved a speed of 120 miles per hour (A. Parmelee, All the Birds of the Bible, 1969, p. 200). (Harris, R L, Archer, G L & Waltke, B K Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press) An interesting illustration is thus recorded by Sir Humphry Davy - I once saw a very interesting sight above the crags of Ben Nevis. Two parent eagles were teaching their offspring, two young birds, the maneuvers of flight. They began by rising from the top of the mountain in the eye of the sun. It was about mid-day, and bright for the climate. They at first made small circles, and the young birds imitated them. They paused on their wings, waiting till they had made their flight, and then took a second and larger gyration, always rising toward the sun, and enlarging their circle of flight so as to make a gradually ascending spiral. The young ones still and slowly followed, apparently flying better as they mounted; and they continued this sublime exercise, always rising till they became mere points in the air, and the young ones were lost, and afterwards their parents, to our aching sight. The psalmist writes that Jehovah "satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. (Ps 103:5) Spurgeon: Renewal of strength, amounting to a grant of a new lease of life, was granted to the Psalmist; he was so restored to his former self that he grew young again, and looked as vigorous as an eagle, whose eye can gaze upon the sun, and whose wing can mount above the storm. Our version refers to the annual molting of the eagle, after which it looks fresh and young; but the original does not appear to allude to any such fact of natural history, but simply to describe the diseased one as so healed and strengthened, that he became as full of energy as the bird which is strongest of the feathered race, most fearless, most majestic, and most soaring. He who sat moping with the owl in the last Psalm, here flies on high with the eagle: the Lord works marvellous changes in us, and we learn by such experiences to bless his holy name. To grow from a sparrow to an eagle, and leave the wilderness of the pelican to mount among the stars is enough to make any man cry, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Like eagles - This is a term of comparison, specifically a simile, which presents a beautiful picture of an eagle spreading its magnificent wings that it might take advantage of the updraft and glide almost effortlessly through the sky. As applied to those who wait on, depend on, rest in, believe in Jehovah, His gracious power will uplift them in a figurative sense, which could include physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. Savior, let me walk beside Thee, Let me feel my hand in Thine; Let me know the joy of walking In Thy strength and not in mine. —Sidebotham W E Vine offers a slightly spiritualized interpretation writing that "To mount up with wings is to rise above difficulties, to fly above the mists and darkness of earth into the clear sunshine of God’s presence. Would that we more readily entered into this delightful experience. We shall do so, if Christ is a reality to us. Some suggest that the meaning is that of putting forth fresh feathers, as birds do after molting, but the rendering in our Versions seems better. The eagle is characterized by three things: rapidity of flight, power of scent, keenness of vision. So our mounting up is not only a matter of rising above difficulties, it involves a joyous and quick discernment of the will and way of God for us and the keen vision of Himself by faith." Ben Patterson - Isaiah must have watched eagles closely to see the way they soar. As birds go, eagles' wings are big, but the muscles that make them flap aren't. Pound for pound, an eagle's strength is no match for the strength of a hummingbird. The strength of eagles is not in their flapping but in their soaring. An eagle will perch high atop a canyon below. When the rising wind is just right, the eagle will fold its wings to its sides, literally cast itself into the chasm and plummet into the abyss… (When the speed is just right) the bird will spread its wings, catch the thermals, rise up into the sky and soar. Isaiah didn't know the mechanism, but he could see the effect. This is a great picture of hoping in God. Through no strength of our own, we cast ourselves upon God, fall into His mercy and soar on His promises. Our strength comes from trusting and soaring, not flapping and working. Adam
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon writes: I will run the way of thy commandments. With energy, promptitude, and zeal he would perform the will of God, but he needed more life and liberty from the hand of God. When thou shalt enlarge my heart. Yes, the heart is the master; the feet soon run when the heart is free and energetic. Let the affections be aroused and eagerly set on divine things, and our actions will be full of force, swiftness, and delight. God must work in us first, and then we shall will and do according to his good pleasure. He must change the heart, unite the heart, encourage the heart, strengthen the heart, and enlarge the heart, and then the course of the life will be gracious, sincere, happy, and earnest; so that from our lowest up to our highest state in grace we must attribute all to the free favour of our God. We must run; for grace is not an overwhelming force which compels unwilling minds to move contrary to their will: our running is the spontaneous leaping forward of a mind which has been set free by the hand of God, and delights to show its freedom by its bounding speed. What a change from Psalms 119:25-note to the present, from cleaving to the dust to running in the way. It is the excellence of holy sorrow that it works in us the quickening for which we seek, and then we show the sincerity of our grief and the reality of our revival by being zealous in the ways of the Lord. For the third time an octave closes with, "I will." These "I wills" of the Psalms are right worthy of being each one the subject of study and discourse. Note how the heart has been spoken of up to this point: "whole heart" (Ps 119:2-note), "uprightness of heart" (Ps 119:7-note), "hid in mine heart" (Ps 119:11-note), "enlarge my heart." There are many more allusions further on, and these all go to show what heart work David's religion was. It is one of the great lacks of our age that heads count for more than hearts, and men are far more ready to learn than to love, though they are by no means eager in either direction. Not (03808) (lo') describes factual negation (in contrast to 'al which describes potential negation). Often lo' is used to express an unconditional prohibition, thus having the force of an imperative. The Septuagint translates lo' with the Greek particle ou which signifies absolute negation. So the idea is that those who mount up will run and absolutely not get tired, which describes supernatural enablement. The same description is used of those who walk in God's power, for they shall absolutely not get weary. Get tired (03021) (yaga') means to labor or toil and then to be weary , grow tired or be in need of rest because of either physical or emotional needs. Some see this word as related to the Arabic word waji meaning to have trouble or to be in pain (Halot). Yaga' is a favorite word with Isaiah who accounts for most of the OT uses. One source says the primary idea is to grasp and hence to be exhausted or grow tired (New Strong's Dictionary of Greek & Hebrew Words). Yaga can refer to being physically spent as a result of prolonged labor, travel, or other activity and can also refer to emotional disturbance (i.e., a sense of being annoyed) or exhaustion resulting from the persistent stresses, sorrows, and trials of life (cf. Ps 6:6; 69:3; Is 49:4; Jer 45:3). In the sense of having diminished physical or emotional energy, the Lord cannot become "weary"; He is a source of strength to the weary (Isa 40:28, 29, 30, 31). But since being "weary" may imply prolonged and often unpleasant activity that is soon to stop, the verb can be used figuratively of God. Yaga' - 25v in the OT - Jos. 7:3; 24:13; 2Sa 23:10; Job 9:29; Ps. 6:6; 69:3; Pr 23:4; Eccl. 10:15; Is 40:28, 30, 31; 43:22, 23, 24; 47:12, 15; 49:4; 57:10; 62:8; 65:23; Je 45:3; 51:58; La 5:5; Hab 2:13; Mal 2:17. NAS = become weary(1), get tired(1), labor(1), labored(4), tired(3), toil(4), toiled(1), wearied(4), wearies(1), weary(5), worn(1). Not grow tired… not become weary - Note that this pair of Hebrew verbs (tired… weary) are used three times in this section (Is 40:28, 30, 31) clearly indicating a relationship. And thus we see that in Is 40:30 the prophet describes the best efforts which man can offer regarding natural strength (the vigor of youths and young men) but it cannot compare with God's untiring, unwearying strength (Is 40:28 - God… does not become weary or tired). Isaiah's point is that the man or woman (genuine believers) who place their trust and hope in Jehovah, exchange their natural strength for the supernatural unwearying, unfainting strength of the Everlasting God and are enabled to tap into inner resources that will not fail in the storms and demands of life. In the immediate context, those Jews who had truly believed in Yeshua and choose to wait on Jehovah in the midst of the coming Babylonian invasion and exile would be supernaturally strengthened to fly, run and walk even through the nation as a whole would be experiencing God's purging, disciplining fire. The principle of course is applicable to all believers of all ages who make the continual conscious choice to wait upon the LORD. Grogan has an interesting thought that… The threefold description forms a climax, not its opposite; for the exceptional flying and the occasional running do not require, as does the constant walking, an ever-flowing stream of grace. Dan Fortner opens his message on Isaiah 40:31 asking… Is your heart heavy? Are you downcast, despondent, and depressed? Do you feel that God has both forsaken you and forgotten you? That he has forgotten to be gracious? That his mercy is clear gone forever? Most of us would never use such language. We are too hypocritical to speak honestly and too proud to admit weakness. But, I dare say, there is not a man or woman in this building who has not felt in their heart the things I have described. Either for fear of dishonoring God, or for fear of being misunderstood, or for fear of leading others into gloom, we do not often speak of our bouts with despondency; but all believers do experience these tedious and tasteless hours of darkness and gloom (Ps. 40:5, 11; 43:5). Proposition: The only cure for despondency, the only comfort for downcast hearts is faith and hope in the Lord our God. (Isaiah 40:27-31 Hope Thou In God!) The Threefold Promise Oh, wonderful promises given To those who wait on the Lord; Strength for the faint who have fallen, Power for weakness outpoured. Blessed the threefold assurance Thrilling the soul like a song: They shall mount up as the eagles On wide wings and swift wings and strong; Run with the stride of the racer, Leaping unwearied and free, Till he comes to the end of his journey And the crown of his effort shall see. But the word for the worn and the weary, Who know not the rapture of wings, Who know not the joy of the runner, What infinite comfort it brings! Walk and not faint; the slow steppings, The plodding dull round of the days, The toil and the heat and the burdens, The wearying halts and delays. Oh, promise for those who are walking, Who falter and stumble and fall, The courage, the strength and the patience, This is the sweetest of all. Annie Johnson Flint They will walk and not become weary: not faint - Psalms 27:13; Luke 18:1; 2 Corinthians 4:1,16; Galatians 6:9; Hebrews 12:1; Revelation 2:3 Isaiah 40 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SUPERNATURAL WALKING They will walk (01980) (halak) is the common Hebrew verb for walk or travel from one place to another. Clearly in context, Isaiah uses halak as a metaphor because walking pictures our daily conduct or behavior, as it does so often in the New Testament (see word study on the NT verb for walk = peripateo). The way we walk is the way we live our life day to day, moment by moment. And as believers we are called to walk in a manner worthy (axios [word study] = having the same weight as) of the gospel of Christ (Php 1:27) and worthy of the Lord (Col 1:10). Note that in Colossians the context (Col 1:9) is a prayer - this walk is possible only as we yield our will to the Spirit and are filled with a knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding! Beloved, don't try to live the Christian life, the "Christ life" without Christ, for we can accomplish this holy walk only as we learn to wait on Jehovah Jesus and are "strengthened with all power according to His glorious might" which is given to us "for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience" (Col 1:11). John exhorts us writing that… the one who says he abides in Him (Christ, the Vine [Jn 15:5], the Source of our supernatural strength to continue to walk even when the winds of affliction and trial blow hard against us) ought himself to walk in the same manner as He (Jesus) walked. (1Jn 2:6) Paul gives us the NT parallel to Isaiah's OT picture of a supernatural walk… But I say, walk (present imperative = Not a suggestion but a command to make this your continual or habitual practice. And how is it possible to fulfill this command? Not by natural means, such as the strength of young men who grow weary and tried but… ) by the Spirit (by surrendering our will to His will, in each of those "pop tests" that God sends/allows to grow us in grace and make us more like His Son), and (What is God's promise to those who "walk" by His Spirit?) you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (word study). (Gal 5:16-see in depth study) Comment: Beloved, can you see the parallels between Isaiah 40:31 and Gal 5:16? In the Old we are called to "wait", in the New we are charged to "walk". In the Old we will not become weary; in the New we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Both promises have conditions to which believers must choose to submit. Both promises result in a supernatural life. What are you "waiting" for? May we all learn to "wait for" and "walk by the Spirit" so that His supernatural enablement of our daily life gives a clear, irrefutable testimony to a lost and dead world (Ep 2:1-note) of our Father in heaven, Who is otherwise invisible to them (Mt 5:16-note). The psalmist writes… And I will walk at liberty (real freedom is not the right to do as you please, but the power to do as you should, cp 1Co 2:14), for I seek Your precepts. (Ps 119:45-note) Spurgeon comments: And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. Saints find no bondage in sanctity. The Spirit of holiness is a free spirit; He sets men at liberty and enables them to resist every effort to bring them under subjection. The way of holiness is not a track for slaves, but the King's highway for freemen, who are joyfully journeying from the Egypt of bondage to the Canaan of rest. God's mercies and His salvation, by teaching us to love the precepts of the word, set us at a happy rest; and the more we seek after the perfection of our obedience the more shall we enjoy complete emancipation from every form of spiritual slavery… The verse is united to that which goes before, for it begins with the word "And," which acts as a hook to attach it to the preceding verses. It mentions another of the benefits expected from the coming of mercies from God. The man of God had mentioned the silencing of his enemies (Psalms 119:42-note), power to proceed in testimony (Psalms 119:43-note), and perseverance in holiness (Psalms 119:44-note); now he dwells upon liberty, which next to life is dearest to all brave men. He says, "I shall walk," indicating his daily progress through life; "at liberty," as one who is out of prison, unimpeded by adversaries, unencumbered by burdens, unshackled, allowed a wide range, and roaming without fear. Such liberty would be dangerous if a man were seeking himself or his own lusts; but when the one object sought after is the will of God, there can be no need to restrain the searcher. We need not circumscribe the man who can say, "I seek Thy precepts." Observe, in the preceding verse he said he would keep the law; but here he speaks of seeking it. Does he not mean that he will obey what he knows, and endeavour to know more? Is not this the way to the highest form of liberty, -- to be always labouring to know the mind of God and to be conformed to it? Those who keep the law are sure to seek it, and bestir themselves to keep it more and more. Become weary (03286) (ya'aph/yaep) is a primitive root which means to grow tired or faint as from physical exhaustion. To tire as if from wearisome flight (Strong). To be fatigued, something that does not happen to Jehovah (Isa 40:28, 30)! To exhaust oneself fruitlessly (Hab 2:13, cp Jer 51:58, 64). Ya'aph/yaep is used to describe a strong man who works with iron to the point of exhaustion, and for what? All to make an empty, useless idol (Isa. 44:12; cf. Jer. 51:58, 64; Hab. 2:13). Beloved, are you laboring to the point of exhaustion building your reputation, your bank account, your dream house, etc, etc? Instead, in the spirit of Isaiah 40:31, you might try waiting on and resting in the Lord, Who will strengthen you for His work, work the fruit of which shall endure throughout eternity! God give us grace to wait and then work. Amen Note the concentration of this word in Isaiah 40 (Is 40:28, 30, 31) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary (ya'aph) or tired (yaga'). His understanding is inscrutable. (Is 40:28) Though youths grow weary (ya'aph) or tired (yaga'), And vigorous young men stumble badly, (Isa 40:30) The Septuagint translates ya'aph with the Greek verb kopiao (see this word study) which means to engage in hard work and can imply difficulties and trouble. It speaks of intense toil even sweating and straining to the point of exhaustion if necessary. Paul uses kopiao to describe the quality of labor involved in ministering for the Lord (toil, word hard - used in all these passages - Ro 16:6,12, 1Co 4:12, 15:10, 16:16, Ga 4:11 Php 2:16 Col 1:29 1Th 5:12, 1Ti 4:10, 5:17). Kopiao was sometimes used to refer to athletic training. It was also common used among the down-trodden masses of the Roman world. Figuratively, kopiao pictures one becoming emotionally fatigued and discouraged so that they lose heart and give up. We've all been there haven't we? And here in Isa 40:31 the prophet prescribes the antidote for this emotional fatigue. Ya'aph - 9v in the OT - Is 40:28, 30, 31; 44:12; Jer 2:24; 51:58, 64; Da 9:21; Hab 2:13. NAS = become exhausted(2), become weary(3), becomes weary(1), extreme(1), grow weary(2). WEARY: make or become unable or unwilling to continue; stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing FAINT: lacking courage and spirit (cowardly); weak, dizzy, and likely to faint; lacking strength or vigor; lose consciousness because of a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain Octavius Winslow writes… Because Jesus is the Almighty God, His saints have AN ALMIGHTY BURDEN-BEARER. We are a burdened people; every believer carries a burden peculiar to himself. "Your burden," is the language addressed to each child of God. What is your burden, O believer? Is it indwelling sin, or some natural infirmity of the flesh? Is it a constitutional weakness, or some domestic trial? Is it a personal or relative trial? Is it the loss of property, the decay of health, soul-anxiety, or mental despondency? Come, oppressed and burdened believer, ready to give up all and sink! Behold Jesus, the Almighty God, omnipotent to transfer your burden to Himself, and give you rest. It is well that you are sensible of the pressure, that you feel your weakness and insufficiency, and that you are brought to the end of all your own power. Now turn to your Almighty Friend, who is the Creator of the ends of the earth, even the everlasting God, who does not faint, neither is weary. How precious is the promise addressed to you! He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29, 30, 31 Oh, what strength there is in Jesus for the weak, and faint, and drooping of His flock! You are ready to succumb to your foes, and you think the battle of faith is lost. Cheer up! Jesus, your Savior, friend, and brother, is "the Almighty God," and will perfect His strength in your weakness. The battle is not yours but His, and you have no need to fight, but to stand still and see the salvation of God! (From EMMANUEL, or Titles of Christ by Octavius Winslow ) John MacDuff applies Isaiah's passage in a devotional entitled "Reviving Grace"… "Will You not revive us, O Lord?" My soul! are you conscious of your declining state? Is your walk less with God, your affections less heavenly? Have you less conscious nearness to the mercy-seat, diminished communion with your Savior? Is prayer less a privilege than it has been?—the pulsations of spiritual life more languid, and fitful, and spasmodic?—the bread of life, less relished?—the seen, and the temporal, and the tangible, displacing the unseen and eternal? Are you sinking down into this state of drowsy self-contentment, this conformity of your life with the world, forfeiting all the happiness of true religion and risking and endangering the better life to come? Arise! Call upon your God! "Will you not revive us, O Lord?" He might have returned nothing but the withering repulse, "How often would I have gathered you; but you would not!" (Mt 23:37)) "Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone!" (Ho 4:17) But "in wrath He remembers mercy." (Hab 3:2) "They shall revive as the corn." (Ho 14:7) "The mouth of the Lord has spoken it." (Is 1:20, 40:5, 58:15, Je 9:12) How and where is reviving grace to be found? He gives you, in this precious promise (Is 40:31), the key. It is on your bended knees—by a return to your deserted and unfrequented chamber! "Those who wait upon the Lord!" "Wait on the Lord; be of good cheer, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! (Ps 31:24YLT)" (THE FAITHFUL PROMISER by John MacDuff) Scott Grant has an analysis that relates to our application of Isaiah 40:31… Weariness and weakness, then, are prerequisites to spiritual reformation. When the pressures of life cause us to realize that we lack the resources to live fruitfully, we are motivated to wait for the Lord. Weakness does not preclude faith; it's a reason for it. Waiting is anything but passive. It involves an active application of mind and heart to the task of hoping in the Lord to fulfill his promise to deliver us. We throw ourselves at the Lord, believing that if he doesn't catch us, all is lost. We bank on His goodness. Waiting for the Lord involves directing mind and heart to prayer, scripture and worship. We have trouble disciplining ourselves in such a way, but weariness and weakness motivate us (cp Ps 119:67-note, Ps 119:71-note). Until we grow weary and acknowledge our weakness, we tend to choose anything but heartfelt, desperate dependence on the Lord (cp Jas 4:6-note , 2Co 12:9- note, 2Co 12:10-note). As Ben Patterson says, "When you're well, you think you're in charge. When you're sick, you know you're not." In our weariness, we turn to the Lord. The widow in Jesus' parable in Luke 18:1-8 is a symbol of weakness. Jesus told the parable "to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." That's exactly what Isaiah is encouraging the exiles to do when he tells them to wait for the Lord. The widow, in her desperation, persistently appeals to a judge, the only one who can grant her justice. Her desperate, persistent appeals to the judge are used as an illustration of the "faith" Jesus is looking for (Luke 18:8). When we in our weakness pray to the Lord and wait for the Lord, the Lord finds what He's looking for. When we turn to the Lord, He gives us his strength; we gain new strength. Waiting for the Lord-hoping in His deliverance-is the means by which the Lord strengthens us. In the process of actively waiting for the Lord, we are exercising spiritual muscles, if you will. Connecting with what the Lord will do in the future gives us strength for today. This means you cannot only survive oppressive circumstances, you can flourish spiritually-even soar like eagles-in the middle of them. The Lord takes us to Babylon, where we feel oppressed, constricted and closed in, so that we will recognize our weakness, and actively wait and hope for Him. This is how the Lord brings about spiritual reformation in our lives. This is how He forms men and women who are spiritually strong. This is how He is forming you into the man or woman he wants you to be. (Ed: cp "Babylon" with our trials - Jas 1:2-note, Jas 1:3, 4-note) Note the progression-or what actually appears to be a regression-in the last three lines of Is 40:31. As a result of the supernatural strength given by the Lord, we will soar like eagles, run and not get tired, and walk and not become weary. We go from flying, to running to walking. It seems as if it should be the other way around: We start out walking and eventually fly. But walking in the strength given by the Lord is seen as the most advanced spiritual exercise. There will be moments in the spiritual life when we feel as if we're soaring, as if we've risen above it all. There will also be moments, probably more frequent, when we feel as if we're running, as if we've hit some kind of stride. But most of life consists of walking (Ed: eg, The apostle Paul, on the basis of the priceless spiritual wealth that has been granted to believers as detailed in Ephesians 1-3, the apostle then exhorts his readers to "walk" in Ep 4:1-note, cp Ep 5:2-note where he uses the present imperative commanding believers to walk in love as a lifestyle. See also word study of the verb peripateo used frequently to describe the NT believer's walk or conduct). It may not feel like much of an accomplishment; it's not glamorous; and it doesn't get much attention. But as we wait and hope in the Lord, he gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other. To live in faithful dependence on the Lord step by step is the greatest accomplishment of all. He will deliver us. He will lead us to freedom. But for now, He's forming us into the people who will be ready for freedom and can live in it. Is there some form of oppression in your life at the moment? Do you feel somehow constricted and closed in? Does it feel in any way as if you're in captivity, living in exile? Are you therefore weary, lacking in strength? Life in the Silicon Valley can make you feel that way. It can wear you out. Perhaps, even as a vigorous young person, you've already stumbled badly. You're tired of the pressure; you're tired of the pace of life here; you're tired of your workplace; you're tired of your living arrangement; you're tired of living under a weight of expectations; you're tired of being single; you're tired of your fears. You're in a situation in which you feel trapped, and it's sapped you of strength. If you feel weary and weak, give thanks! (cp 1Th 5:18-note) You are now a candidate for God's strength. (2Co 12:10b-note) Are you wondering what the Lord is doing with all His power and wisdom? Are you, like Israel, asserting, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"? Wait for the Lord! What does the Lord do with His power and wisdom? His power and His wisdom are for us! He doesn't change the circumstances; he changes us. The key at first lies not in liberating ourselves from oppressive circumstances; it lies in waiting for the Lord. (cp 1Co 10:13-note) In that way the Lord enables us to transcend our circumstances. Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, writes of the discovery he made as he acknowledged his weakness: "That evening, when I was at my lowest, confounded by obstacles, bewildered by the darkness that surrounded us, unable even to continue preaching, I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power." (Ed: Read Jim Cymbala's testimony to God's reviving power in Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire) That "astonishing truth" is the one taught in Isaiah 40:27-31. Remember, in Jesus Christ, "we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (He 4:15-note, He 4:16-note , cp similar truth in He 2:18-note). Paul calls Christ, particularly "Christ crucified" (1Co 1:23), "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1Co 1:24). In Christ, God in His wisdom lavished the riches of his grace on us (Ep 1:7, 8-note), and His power toward us is surpassingly great (Ep 1:19-note). The twin themes of Isa 40:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26-the power and wisdom of the Lord-resurface in the final section, Isa 40:27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Whereas his power and wisdom are seen in creation earlier, they are now seen in his people. This passage, then, first invites us to consider the universe and to imagine the power and wisdom responsible for its creation and maintenance. Then it invites us to believe that the one responsible for creation makes that very same power and wisdom available to us. In his wisdom, he does a powerful work in our lives. The passage also invites us to specifically consider the stars, which the Lord leads, names and protects like a shepherd. The stars remind us of the Lord's promise to deliver us. He causes the stars to shine. He will do the same for us. Believing that he will do that, we wait for him. In his wisdom, he gives his power to those who wait for him, and they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. So, start boring those holes-wait for the Lord-and watch for the explosion. (Reference) Rich Cathers observes that… There are three things mentioned here. And they go from the great to the ordinary. It’s a wonderful thing to fly like an eagle, but it can be down right ordinary to just walk. William Carey, the father of modern missions wrote, "I can plod. That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything." Illustration -John Claypool, when he was the preacher of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church here in town, had a little daughter who suffered with leukemia. When she went into remission, everybody thought maybe God had healed her. On an Easter Sunday morning she went into a terrible recurrence. In his book, Tracks of a Fellow Struggler, Claypool relates how for two weeks his daughter was wracked with pain, her eyes swollen shut. She asked him, "Daddy, did you talk to God about my leukemia?" He said, "Yes, dear, we’ve been praying for you." She asked, "Did you ask him how long the leukemia would last? What did God say?" What do you say to your daughter when you can’t help her, and the heavens are silent? Emotionally and spiritually he was exhausted. A few hours later, she died. The following Sunday morning, John Claypool got into the pulpit to preach. It was powerful. He preached on Isaiah 40:31 … Dr. Claypool said something to the effect, "There are three stages of life. Sometimes we mount up with wings as an eagle and fly. We’re on top of the world. Sometimes we run, and we don’t grow weary. We just go through the routine. Sometimes it’s all we can do to walk and not faint, and I need your prayers and your encouragement." At the moment John Claypool was at his lowest, he preached probably his most influential sermon. Perhaps his greatest contribution came at his darkest hour. He could have said like Paul, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Co 12:9- note, 2Co 12:10-note) -- R. L. Russell, "Triumphing over Trials," Preaching Today, Tape No. 119. (Reference) Chambers in his devotional entitled Dependent On God's Presence writes that… There is no thrill in walking; it is the test of all the stable qualities. To "walk and not faint" is the highest reach possible for strength. The word "walk" is used in the Bible to express the character - "John looking on Jesus as He walked, said, Behold the Lamb of God!" There is never any thing abstract in the Bible, it is always vivid and real. God does not say - Be spiritual, but - "Walk before Me." When we are in an unhealthy state physically or emotionally, we always want thrills. In the physical domain this will lead to counterfeiting the Holy Ghost; in the emotional life it leads to in ordinate affection and the destruction of morality; and in the spiritual domain if we insist on getting thrills, on mounting up with wings, it will end in the destruction of spirituality. The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us. Our problems come when we refuse to bank on the reality of His presence. The experience the Psalmist speaks of - "Therefore will we not fear, though … " will be ours when once we are based on Reality, not the consciousness of God's presence but the reality of it - Why, He has been here all the time! At critical moments it is necessary to ask guidance, but it ought to be unnecessary to be saying always - "O Lord, direct me here, and there." Of course He will! If our common-sense decisions are not His order, He will press through them and check; then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence. (Reference) DEVOTIONALS RELATED TO WAITING ON JEHOVAH At times you may feel so worn out and stressed that you are not sure you can take another step. You may seem to spend all your time running from crisis to crisis and to be constantly giving your time and energy to others. Your Lord wants to renew your strength and enable you to enjoy the abundant life He intends for you. The key is to wait upon Him to do so. Our generation does not enjoy waiting. We are harried by all the commitments we have made and the many responsibilities we hold. We rush through our lives without stopping to evaluate our activities. Sometimes in our haste to get on with our work, we race ahead of God. Part of God's restorative process is to slow us down and make us listen to Him. As we wait on Him, God will remind us of our utter dependence upon His strength. When we slow down and seek His will, He will reveal His plans. Biblically, waiting on the Lord is never passive; it is always active. Waiting requires us to cease our own pursuits and give God our complete attention. We may have to give up some of the activities we have allowed to inundate our lives. We may need to take an entire day to sit quietly before the Lord. If we ask Him, God will show us the resources He has provided to help with the work we have been attempting on our own. God may address feelings of guilt that have motivated us to do things that He has not asked us to do. - Experiencing God Day by Day (November 9) Ever watch an eagle learn to fly? The mother pushes the baby eaglet out of the nest, and the baby bird falls, desperately flapping its wings. Before the baby hits the ground, however, the mother eagle swoops under her baby and lifts it back to safety. She'll continue the lesson over and over again until her eaglet learns to fly. She doesn't push the baby out of the nest to abuse it; she pushes the baby out of the nest because she cares for it. She wants it to learn to fly. If the mother eagle never pushed the baby out of the nest, the eaglet would never leave the nest! Learning to trust in God is similar to an eaglet trusting its mother when learning to fly. The similarities for us are obvious. God sometimes pushes us out of our comfortable lives to teach us to trust him. We may fall a little, but he doesn't let us hit the ground. If we were never uncomfortable, we'd never learn to trust him. (God's Word for Students - July 14) Andrew Murray in his devotional "Waiting on God" - Day 21—The Almighty One - 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) Waiting always partakes of the character of our thoughts of the one on whom we wait. Our Waiting on God will depend greatly on our faith of what He is. In our text, we have the close of a passage in which God reveals Himself as the everlasting and almighty One. It is as that revelation enters into our soul that the waiting will become the spontaneous expression of what we know Him to be—a God altogether most worthy to be waited upon. Listen to the words, "Why sayest thou, O Jacob… My way is hid from the Lord… speakest thou as if God doth not hear or help? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?". So far from it: "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint… and the young men shall utterly fall". And consider that "the glory of young men is their strength". All that is deemed strong with man shall come to nothing. "But they that wait upon the Lord," on the Everlasting One, who does not faint, and is not weary, they "shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and"—listen now, they will be strong with the strength of God, and, even as He, they will "not be weary; and they shall walk, and" even as He, they will "not faint." Yes, "they shall mount up with wings as eagles." You know what eagles' wings mean. The eagle is the king of birds; it soars the highest into the heavens. Believers are to live a heavenly life, in the very Presence and Love and Joy of God. They are to live where God lives; they need God's strength to rise there. It will be given to them that wait on Him. You know how the eagles' wings are obtained. Only in one way—by the eagle birth. You are born of God. You have the eagles' wings. You may not have known it; you may not have used them; but God can and will teach you how to use them. You know how the eagles are taught the use of their wings. See yonder cliff rising a thousand feet out of the sea. See high up a ledge on the rock, where there is an eagle's nest with its treasure of two young eaglets. See the mother bird come and stir up her nest, and with her beak push the timid birds over the precipice. See how they flutter and fall and sink toward the depth. See now how she "fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings" (Deuteronomy 32:11), and so, as they ride upon her wings, brings them to a place of safety. And so, she does this once and again, each time casting them out over the precipice, and then again taking and carrying them. "So the Lord alone did lead him". Yes, the instinct of that eagle mother was God's gift, a single ray of that love in which the Almighty trains His people to mount as on eagles' wings. He stirs up your nest. He disappoints your hopes. He brings down your confidence. He makes you fear and tremble, as all your strength fails, and you feel utterly weary and helpless. And all the while He is spreading His strong wings for you to rest your weakness on and offering His everlasting Creator strength to work in you. And all He asks is that you sink down in your weariness and wait on Him. Allow Him in His Jehovah strength to carry you as you ride upon the wings of His omnipotence. Dear child of God, I pray you, lift up your eyes, and behold your God! Listen to Him who says that He "fainteth not, neither is weary" (Isaiah 40:28), who promises that you too will not faint or be weary, who asks nothing but this one thing, that you should wait on Him. And, let your answer be, With such a God, so mighty, so faithful, so tender, "My soul, wait thou only upon God!" A W Tozer (in the Size of the Soul) -Isaiah 40:31 - It is possible to work far beyond the normal strength of the human constitution and yet experience little or no fatigue because the energy for the work has been provided, not by the burning up of human tissue, but by the indwelling Spirit of power. This has been realized by a few unusual souls, and the pity is that they are unusual. Attention has recently been focused upon the fact that ministers suffer a disproportionately high number of nervous breakdowns compared with other men. The reasons are many, and for the most part they reflect credit on the men of God. Still I wonder if it is all necessary. I wonder whether we who claim to be sons of the new creation are not allowing ourselves to be cheated out of our heritage. Surely it should not be necessary to do spiritual work in the strength of our natural talents. God has provided supernatural energies for supernatural tasks. The attempt to do the work of the Spirit without the Spirit's enabling may explain the propensity to nervous collapse on the part of Christian ministers. There is a place where strength can always be renewed; that place is the presence of the Lord. (Tozer - The Life of Elijah) There is mighty power in prayer. It has much to do with our obtaining fullness of power in Christian life and service. The one who will not take time for prayer may as well resign all hope of obtaining the fullness of power God has for him. It is "they that wait upon the Lord" who "shall renew their strength" (Isa. 40:31). Waiting upon the Lord means something more than spending a few minutes at the beginning and close of each day running through some stereotyped form of request. "WAIT UPON THE LORD." True prayer takes time and thought, but it is the great timesaver. At all events, if we are to know fullness of power, we must be men and women of prayer. (Tozer - How to Obtain Fullness of Power) E M Bounds - In the Book of the prophet Isaiah these words are written: Isaiah 40:31. This is the genesis of the whole matter of activity and strength of the most energetic, exhaustless and untiring nature. All this is the result of waiting on God. There may be much of activity induced by drill, created by enthusiasm, the product of the weakness of the flesh, the inspiration of volatile, short-lived forces. Activity is often at the expense of more solid, useful elements, and generally to the total neglect of prayer. To be too busy with God’s work to commune with God, to be busy with doing Church work without taking time to talk to God about His work, is the highway to backsliding, and many people have walked therein to the hurt of their immortal souls. Notwithstanding great activity, great enthusiasm, and much hurrah for the work, the work and the activity will be but blindness without the cultivation and the maturity of the graces of prayer. Jonathan Edwards - Waiting on the Lord, waiting for His salvation, and the like, are terms used as being equivalent to trusting in God in the Scripture. Ps 25:2, "O my God, I trust in thee; let me not be ashamed." Ps 25:5, "On thee do I wait all the day." Ps 25:21, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for on thee do I wait." Ps 37:3, "Trust in the Lord." Ps 37:5, "Trust also in him." Ps 37:7, "Rest on the Lord, and wait patiently for him." Ps 27:13,14, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." See also Ps 37:9, 34; Pr 20:22; Ps 39:7; Ps 52:8,9; Ps 59:9; Ps 62:1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8; Ps 130:5, 6, 7, 8; Mic 7:7; Is 30:18; Is 40:31; Is 49:23; Is 51:5; Is 60:8; Lam 3:24, 25, 26; Hab 2:3, 4; Ge 49:18; Ps 33:18, 19, 20; Ps 40:1, 2, 3, 4; Is 33:2; Zec 11:11. (Jonathan Edwards' Works) Jonathan Edwards - Unpublished MS sermon on Isa. 40:29-31, "Observe: 1. Those that have the greatest strength have no strength of their own sufficient in that way which God calls 'em to Himself," p. 6, March 1741 NLT Study Bible - Waiting for the Lord requires submission, prayer, hope, and faith (see Is 25:9; 26:8; 33:2), resulting in a quiet spirit and a renewal of inner strength (40:31). The book of Hebrews applies these words to Jesus Christ (Heb 2:13). Warren
Isaías 40:31
Spurgeon - Isaiah 40:30, 31. Shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; That is their first mode of progression, in which, perhaps, there is more flight than is good for them: "They shall meant up with wings as eagles;"— Isaiah 40:31. They shall run, and not be weary; That is an improvement upon the flying; but they shall still further improve their pace, for running is not the best pace at which a man can go. Enoch did not run with God, but he walked with him; and so, as we grow in grace, we shall advance, from flying to running, and from running to walking. This is the wise, sober, steady mode of going to heaven. Isaiah 40:31. And they shall walk, and not faint. It is a good, steady pace. It is the pace that Enoch kept when he walked with God. Sometimes it is easier to take a running spurt than it is to keep on day by day walk, walk, walk, in the sobriety of Christian conversation. Many under excitement can run a race, but it is the best of all to be able steadily to walk on, walking with God the Lord. The lord bring us to that pace. "They shall walk and not faint." The Lord help us to attain to that blessed rate of progression, in which we shall "walk, and not faint," for his dear Son's sake! Related Resources: Spurgeon's Sermon on Isaiah 40:31 The Unwearied Runner Spurgeon's Sermon on Isaiah 40:31 Renewing Strength Pre-Battle Eye-ing By Napoleon - They tell a story of Napoleon, that, on the eve of a great battle, he would summon his generals into his presence. One by one they would pass from an ante-room into the chamber where Napoleon waited. Each man as he came would find Napoleon standing to greet him, Napoleon's hand outstretched towards him, and Napoleon's eyes looking into his own. And each man would go to his battle station with the strength of ten, feeling that there was no exploit that lay beyond his powers that day. (Cf. Isaiah 40:31) (Encyclopedia of 15000 Illustrations) D L Moody - And then take up the Christian's growth in grace, Psalm 23:2 "Lie down in green pastures;" "Sitting at the feet of Jesus;" Ephesians 6:13,14, "He is able to make us stand;" Psalms, "Walk through the valley of the shadow of death;" Hebrews 12:1, "Run with patience the race that is set before us;" Psalm 18:21, and in Isaiah 40:31, "They shall mount up with wings as eagles." The Christian, these verses show, goes up higher and higher, like a balloon, till the world is lost to sight; till he becomes like Christ, and possessed of eyes that can gaze unblinded on the glory of the City of God. There is one thing more beautiful than an enthusiastic young Christian, and that is a faithful old Christian. It is a glad sight to see the young pilgrim entering with enthusiasm upon his course, stripping with eager hopefulness for the race. But it is a still more beautiful sight to see an old man, who has borne the burden and heat of the day, still pressing toward the mark, marching boldly and bravely, even though his step be slow—'walking without fainting'. -J. D. Jones, Elims of Life, p. 140. Be it ours, then, to trust the unseen Lord, and never shall we fail. Glorious Lord, we believe; help thou our unbelief. Fear not, nor longer be dismayed, Lo, I, the mighty God, am nigh; Thou shalt, each moment, feel my aid, If thou wilt on mine arm rely. Why shouldst thou fear, when I am thine— When all I am, I am for thee? If thou art weak, my strength divine Is perfect in infirmity. Without my help thou canst not stand, But thee I will not leave alone; I'll hold thee up by my right hand, Till thou shalt reach my heavenly throne. Lord, what a change within us one short hour Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make! What heavy burdens from our bosoms take! What parched grounds refresh as with a shower! We kneel—and all around us seems to lower. We rise—and all the distant and the near Stand forth in sunny outline, brave and clear. We kneel—how weak: we rise—how full of power. Why, therefore, should we do ourselves this wrong Or others—that we are not always strong; That we are ever overborne with care; That we should ever weak or heartless be, Anxious or troubled, while with us is prayer, And joy and strength and courage are with Thee? —Archbishop Trench. Wait On The Lord - In Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, the word for wait sounds like the word for class. Making a pun on this word, some senior folks in Hong Kong identify themselves as “third-class citizens,” which also means “people of three waits.” They wait for their children to return home from work late at night. They wait for the morning sun to dispel their sleepless nights. And with a sigh of resignation, they wait for death. In the Bible, the word wait is more an attitude than an activity. To “wait on the Lord” is to trust Him. Psalm 27 is David’s exuberant declaration of faith in God. He sees the Lord as his salvation (Ps 27:1). In times of danger, he knows for certain that God will hide him (Ps 27:5). He remembers that God has asked him to seek His face, so he asks God not to hide from him. For, like a child, he longs to see God’s approving face (Ps 27:8, 9, 10). In his darkest moments, David declares: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps 27:13). Though no one knows how life will unfold, we can decide to trust God and to focus our mind on Him. For to those who wait on the Lord, the promise is given: Our heart will be strengthened (Ps 27:14). — Albert Lee I know not what the future holds— What in one hour may be; But I can wait while it unfolds, And trust implicitly. —Elliott Anti-Aging Power (Read: Isaiah 40:25-41:1) - Americans spend more than $20 billion annually on various anti-aging products that claim to cure baldness, remove wrinkles, build muscle, and renew the powers of youth. Can those products deliver what they promise? Dr. Thomas Perls of Boston University School of Medicine says there is “absolutely no scientific proof that any commercially available product will stop or reverse aging.” But there is a promise of spiritual vitality that defies the ravages of time. “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” (Isa. 40:30, 31). Isaiah used the eagle as a symbol of freedom and endurance, held aloft by a source of power outside itself. As we put our hope and trust in the Lord, we are carried along by His strength and not our own. The psalmist said it is the Lord who nourishes us so that our “youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:5). Are we taking advantage of God’s anti-aging power? It’s promised to all who put their trust in Him for strength of heart, vigor of spirit, and energy of soul.— David C. McCasland The ravages of time cannot be stopped; Yes, outwardly we perish every day; But inner strength of heart can be renewed By trusting in the Lord to light our way. —Sper Growing old is a blessing when you’re growing closer to God. Eagle Flight (READ: Isaiah 40:29-31) - He gives power to the weak. —Isaiah 40:29 I was watching an eagle in flight when for no apparent reason it began spiraling upward. With its powerful wings, the great bird soared ever higher, dissolved into a tiny dot, and then disappeared. Its flight reminded me of Isaiah's uplifting words: "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" (Is 40:30,31). Life's heartbreaks and tragedies can put an end to our resilience, our endurance, our nerve, and bring us to our knees. But if we put our hope in the Lord and rely on Him, He renews our strength. The key to our endurance lies in the exchange of our limited resources for God's limitless strength. And it is ours for the asking. With God's strength we can "run and not be weary," even when days become hectic and demanding. With His strength we can "walk and not faint," even though tedious, dull routine makes the way seem dreary and long. The psalmist exclaimed in the midst of his weary, tearful pilgrimage, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You" (Psalm 84:5). Oh, what an exchange—God's infinite strength for our finite weakness! — David H. Roper If you are helpless in life's fray, God's mighty power will be your stay; Your failing strength He will renew, For He's a God who cares for you. —D. De Haan God gives strength in proportion to the strain. God's Darkroom (READ: Lamentations 3:1-6,22-26) He has set me in dark places… It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. --Lamentations 3:6,26 In the development of photographs, the film must first be taken into a darkroom. Only after the chemicals have done their work in the dark is it safe to expose the negatives to light and produce the final prints. The light, which would have destroyed the film, now brings out its beauty. God takes us through "darkroom" experiences to develop our spiritual life. As we pass through trial, sorrow, frustration, and disappointment, the image of Christ is produced in us. Then we are ready to be displayed in the light. Too often we blame people or circumstances for our dark tunnels of despair and frustration. Although they may be the secondary causes, we need to realize that the hand of the heavenly Father momentarily shades the light from our pathway. He graciously takes us through such experiences because He wants to provide us with the benefits of darkness. Are you in God's darkroom? Then don't despair. The Lord is developing the beauty of Christlikeness within you for display in His art gallery of eternity! Do not seek to get back into the light too soon. Await His perfect timing, or you will spoil the imprint of His love on the film of your life. — Henry G. Bosch Still will we trust, though earth seem dark and dreary, And the heart faint beneath His chastening rod; Though rough and steep our pathway, worn and weary, Still will we trust in God. --Burleigh God takes us into His darkroom to develop godliness. On Eagles’ Wings (READ: Isaiah 40:27-31) - Isaiah’s words about patiently waiting for the Lord anticipate the future with confident hope. From our place of trial, we wait for salvation that is certain to come. Jesus assured His followers, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4-note). Knowing that our destiny is glorious, which is the sure hope of heaven, we’re able to pick up our pace here on earth. Though weary, we can stretch the wings of our faith and fly! We can walk the path of obedience and not get tired. We can move through routine days and not grow weary. A better world is coming, when our spirits will call us to action and our bodies will run and leap and fly! This is our hope. In the meantime, what will be true one day can begin to be true now. We can be steadfast, patient, and joyful in spite of deep weariness; kind and calm, less focused on our frailty and fatigue; more concerned about others than we are about ourselves; ready to speak a loving word to those who are struggling. We can get ready now for the day our souls will take flight. — David H. Roper I am a little weary of my life— Not Thy life, blessed Father! Or the blood Too slowly laves the coral shores of thought, Or I am weary of weariness and strife. Open my soul-gates to Thy living flood; I ask not larger heart-throbs, vigor-fraught, I pray Thy presence, with strong patience rife. —MacDonald When you’re weary in life’s struggles, find your rest in the Lord. Think Young (READ: Isaiah 40:25-31) - In the book Geeks and Geezers, authors Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas present a fascinating look at "how era, values, and defining moments shape leaders" of two very different generations—the geeks (those 21-35 yo) and the geezers (those over 70yo). One of their findings is that among the older group of "geezers," every person who was able to continue to play a leadership role retained the qualities of curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, and energy. Instead of being defeated by time and age, they were "open, willing to take risks, hungry for knowledge and experience, courageous, eager to see what the new day brings." That's a great attitude to have, but how can a Christian get it and keep it? The Bible says that our strength comes from a trusting relationship with God: "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" (Isaiah 40:31). Our minds more than our bodies cause us to lose heart and give up. The young are not immune, because "even the youths shall faint and be weary" (Is 40:30). God gives power to young and old who place their hope in Him. He stirs our spirits to run, walk, and soar for Him.— David C. McCasland We're often weary in life's race, Driven by its hurried pace, But when we wait upon the Lord, His strength becomes our sure reward. —D. De Haan No one is old who is young at heart. WAITING (by David H. Roper)- Make haste to help me, O Lord!” the psalmist David prayed (Ps 70:1). Like him, we don’t like to wait. We dislike the long lines at super-market checkout counters, and the traffic jams downtown and around shopping malls. We hate to wait at the bank or at a restaurant. And then there are the harder waits: a childless couple waiting for a child; a single person waiting for marriage; an addict waiting for deliverance; a spouse waiting for a kind and gentle word; a worried patient waiting for a diagnosis from a doctor. What we wait for, however, is far less important than what God is doing while we wait. In such times He works in us to develop those hard-to-achieve spiritual virtues of meekness, kindness, and patience with others. But more important, we learn to lean on God alone and to “rejoice and be glad” in Him (Ps 70:4). F. B.