He Strengthens - Is 40:28-31

 

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Yes, I have heard that the Lord is the Everlasting God! He is.

When’s the last time you took that in? Hey, I need to do it more regularly!

He is the creator.

Why does Isaiah bother saying all of this about God?

Here’s what I think: It’s because there is something about me that easily drifts into making up my own designer god of my own imagination, one seemingly more convenient for me than the Lord of Heaven and Earth. One I can control. 

The idol that I invent is good for nothing but to make me miserable, to bring destruction on my family and me.

But that’s not God. I want to worship the one, true God only. Deuteronomy 6:13-14

He is the creator and he never becomes faint or weary.

So, why does God allow me to become faint and weary, troubled, wiped out with trying to keep up?

Here’s why: It reminds me that I am not God, that I must depend upon Him.

Will I reach to Him in my weariness, my done-with-it-all? Will I? Will He hear?

(Lord, I reach to You now. And You surely hear me!)

And just in case I forget His everythingness, Isaiah adds: there is NO LIMIT to His understanding. None.

This means that He can, in fact He is handling my problem, my issue. He is not whiffing at it like a blindfolded ten year old trying to hit the goodies out of a piñata. No, He has all the knowledge.

And still, He does NOT usually immediately end my problem or pain.

Rather, He lovingly teaches lessons to me, my children, my wife, my church, and the next generation altogether. And this is so much more treasure than blinking away my messes.

He works, tireless, understanding.

But I’m not just some object lesson for the world to see.

See, He answers my prayers. 

"He gives strength to the faint; He strengthens the powerless." Who am I? I am the faint and powerless. He gives me strength. This is said and sung so often in Christian culture; it almost loses it’s oomph. I’m going to say it aloud like I mean it! - HE GIVES ME STRENGTH! The Lord, the maker, the Eternal One, gives me, a man of clay, strength. What?

He who does not faint, has abundant strength, endless. He has more than ever can be used up. He is strengthening me now.

The strongest people among us, the young who have seemingly boundless energy, do in fact tire out. They stumble and fall. It is hard, hard, hard to watch happen.

But who gets strengthened? Those who trust in the Lord.

This simple concept, this truth, is one of the most prominent, maybe the biggest idea taught in all scripture.

When men and women fail to trust Him, He responds. Sometimes in ways hugely historical. Kings Saul. Rehoboam. Asa. Manasseh. All these and many more were promised much, but they turned away from the Lord, trusting their own strength, bringing ruin and destruction.

He teaches king, priest, and prophet to trust Him.

And when they don’t, they sometimes become a powerful lesson for the people and the next generation.

This idea of trusting Him is woven into the very fabric of Old Testament and New Testament practice.

Old testament: give of your first fruits, don’t work on the sabbath, sacrifice the best, most spotless lamb. Give it. These are acts of faith. Trust.

New Testament: give to the work of the ministry. To the disciples - take only the clothes on your back. Take care of orphans and widows. More trust.

Trust Him. It’s all His anyway. Give some back. Trust.

I can trust Him with everything, tell Him when I can’t seem to take another step. Do it once. Do it twice. Do it again. And when I trust Him -- He always responds. 

Even the idea of forgiveness has this idea of trusting Jesus. I can and must forgive because He has forgiven me. I can trust Him.

And when I trust Him, I renew my strength. It’s built in to the Christian faith at every turn.

He is trustworthy. Today.

Lord, I trust You today. All I have needed, Your hand has provided. I know it. I know that I matter to you in ways I have never imagined. I know when I trust you, my life tells the truth about who you are. I know that you test me to build this faith in me. I trust You to give me exactly what I need. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.