Strength and Power

Everything seemed to go wrong.  At once.  Things had been incredibly good.  But. In one week, life went from good to bad.  Really bad. It felt like God had left.

Consider. 

Do you not know? 

   Have you not heard? 

The LORD is the everlasting God, 

   the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

He will not grow tired or weary, 

   and his understanding no one can fathom. 

He gives strength to the weary 

   and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, 

   and young men stumble and fall; 

but those who hope in the LORD 

   will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

   they will run and not grow weary, 

   they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-:31, NLT). 

The book of Isaiah is written during a time, when the people of God had lost everything . . . not just one thing, but  friends, family, homes, and their nation had been torn away . . . leaving them lost, empty, and hopeless.  Even so.  The writer made it clear, God, Creator of all, was present, never growing tired or weary, understanding every detail in a way that could never be fathomed, giving strength to the weary,  and power to the weak. It is a promise to think on . . . to believe . . .  and to pray for our own life and for others:

He gives strength to the weary . . . and . . .  power to the weak. 

And, in verse 31, the writer draws our attention, with a big but:  We don't give up, regardless of how deep or dark a valley is, but, we hope, not in anything or anyone, except in God.

And, as we hope in God, the door to our life opens to receive a fresh strength, enabling us to leave the dark valley, rising with a power, which Isaiah described as soaring on wings like eagles.  

In theory, Isaiah's words sound great.  Until. We come to a place we are too weary and too weak to move or manage the disappointments, difficulties, and loss.  How  is it possible to hope when we can no longer push through the stuff of life?   The answer lies in the word used in the original Hebrew text, qavah, which means to wait expectantly.  So, we focus on God, believing He is not only present, but actively doing more than we can see from our limited perspective.

The thing is . . . hope, waiting for something more, is trusting God to be our primary source for everything . . . believing in the gift of a new beginning . . . resting on the words, nothing is impossible, all things work together, every good and perfect gift is from above  . . . through His strength and power.

Hope . . . receive strength and power . . . soar.

Learning to Kickstart the day through the strength and power of God,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)