A Devotional on Isaiah 40:27-31

In this passage, God speaks to people who are distressed and exhausted. They are tired because of their circumstances. And so they cried out to God, and this is how He answered them.

God calls His people to look to Him. To seek Jesus. He asks them, “Do you not known? Have you not heard?”

“The LORD is the everlasting God.” God is everlasting; this means that no one is beyond His reach.

He is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” This means that no one is outside of His care, and no one is beyond His ability to help (capability).

And if we were in any doubt of His ability, He adds that “He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding no one can fathom.” And so He can help the weak, and give strength to the weary.

“He gives power to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength.” The more faint and weary we are, the more God can prove His strength. If you cannot stand, lean on Him. Ask for His help—for He is able and willing to help you and me. This God doesn’t demand things from us, drain us, and then dump us. This God shares Himself with us. This God saves. God is not so great that He cannot care. God is so great that He cannot fail in caring for us.

And God, being rich in mercy, not because of who we are, but because of His great love, took in our weaknesses. God the Son came into this world to serve and give His life for us. God meets us in our weakness in Jesus. He doesn’t stay far away. He gives us His own Son—God gives Himself. And He is near us, ready to help and lift us up as we lean on Him.

The “youths,” who are expected to be able to endure much, they become tired and weary. The “young men,” those who stand up in crowds and are chosen as great among men, even they will stumble and fall. But God has something far better than the greatest of human strength—for both young and old, humanly weak and humanly strong!

“Those who hope in the LORD”, the God who reached down to rescue sinners, “they will renew their strength.” This isn’t human strength that withers. This is not natural strength that falls. This is the strength of the Spirit of God in us. We wait and hope in the LORD—we can’t find this in ourselves, it comes from Jesus. All we need to do is ask and to receive, and God will give us His Son.

Regardless of whether we are young or old, healthy or weak, God will give us strength in Jesus. This strength doesn’t depend on us. it depends on Jesus. And He is able and willing to strengthen us in everything!

And those who trust in Him:

“They will soar on wings like eagles” How is this possible? We cannot fly naturally like an eagle—we have no wings, we have to build planes to fly. If we were going to soar like an eagle, would need something we cannot naturally produce on our own. Just so, spiritually we cannot fly (live) unless He gives us something that we cannot get for ourselves. So turn to Jesus, and let God give you His Spirit! Let Him lift you up in Christ to God and give you life! Let Him carry you through all the circumstances of life and death!

Those who wait on the LORD, “They will run and not grow weary” An athlete may be able to run the race, and yet lose the race because he lacks passion. We, too, cannot run this spiritual course of life unless our hearts are in it. So let us ask that His love would stir our hearts! Surely He is able to keep us in the love of God!

Those who wait on the LORD, “They will walk and not be faint” We cannot walk unless we breathe, so breathe deeply the Word of God. Let Him refresh you and comfort your mind. Let Him provide you with the strength to walk—the steady pace of fellowship with Him. For there is nothing sweeter in this life than to walk with Jesus now and into eternity.