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Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast
thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God,
the Lord, the Creator of the ends of hte earth, fainteth not, neither
is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He
giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young
men shall utterly faily: But 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. This passage clearly defines God's strength as independent from my own. In
those moments when my confidence has wained and my strength has
departed, I can be confident in my Lord's ability to not only renew
(implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so
that it SEEMS like new), but to restore (implies a RETURN to the
ORIGINAL state prior to depletion or loss). This is to say that God will not simply make me SEEM like new, but He WILL MAKE ME NEW. This
verse says that He will increase the strength of those that have NONE,
not merely those that have little or those who have kept an emergency
back-up in reserve. This promise motivates
me to give all I have to the Lord, knowing that in emptying myself, I
am only making more room for His perfect strength and restoration.
Isn't it simply human nature to hold back a little...to make sure there is "enough" left over in the end? How much more could be accomplished if we didn't hold back on account of the fear of running out of gas? When
the gas gauge in my car is sitting in the red I spend more time looking
for the next gas station/rest stop than focusing on my destination. The promise of Isaiah 40:28 is that God will renew us when we are empty, when we have NO generative power of our own. His word does not say that He will make us take the walk to the gas station when we've run out of fuel. He will fill us where we are. It is when we get out of the vehicle and set off to find our own resources and resolution that we grow weary. Imagine the places you would go in a vehicle with unlimited resources; a car that restores, refeuls, cleanses, and recharges. As
believers, God is our vehicle and He promises renewal, restoration,
refreshment, renovation, and rejuvenation...of the PASSENGER...of you. So take your eyes off the dashboard and trust your Chauffeur. You've got the ultimate ride.
© Victoria Sheahan, 2005
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