Isaiah 40:28-31:
28 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.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 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.
In this passage in the book of Isaiah, the prophet proclaims that God is strong. He will never get tired or grow weak – in fact, He has no weaknesses at all! His understanding is deeper than any person’s, and there are no limitations on how much He can know. He doesn’t grow old and He is never spent. He will never reach the end of Himself because He has no end! He is everlasting.
In contrast, all of us are weak and limited. We get tired, and we can never know the name of every single star in the sky. We are young and full of energy for a short time, but then we grow old. We change, but God doesn’t, and that’s just one reason that we can hope in Him.
Earlier in this chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes of how small man is compared to God: how no one could ever hold the oceans in their hand as God does; how no one can weigh the mountains on a scale; how we are truly nothing before this great and powerful God (see Isaiah 40:12-17). However, Isaiah also writes this:
He tends his flock like a shepherd
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart
– Isaiah 40:11
This great and almighty God, the God who is so strong and powerful, also cares for each of us enough to carry us “close to his heart” and gather us “in his arms” – how incredible! God isn’t just strong, He is loving, and that’s another reason to hope in Him.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This is a promise that he makes to all people, bringing God’s strength and compassion together to give all of us hope. That’s why Isaiah writes that God “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.” (Isaiah 40:29-31). God is strong and loving, not one or the other – both. Those who hope in Him are able to soar like eagles in this world, to continue through life without being overcome by any evil power, because they are held by a God who cannot be overcome.
Is this God holding you? Are you hoping in Him? I know He’s holding me, and I know that He is the very source of my hope. Next time I write I’ll tell you more about how I know that. For now, peace be with you my friends,
Heather LeAnn
