ISAIAH 40:31
and Isaiah 40:29 promises
He gives STRENGTH to the weary,
And to him/her who has no might He increases power.
Actually it was Isaiah 40:28-31, but I certainly read all of Isaiah 40:1-31 to get the full context. In fact I read through the entire book of Isaiah this year with a wonderful, delightful devotional by Brian Simmons & Gretchen Rodriguez
The Vision: 365 Days of Life-Giving Words from the Prophet Isaiah (The Passion Translation)
I have frequently meditated on this verse throughout the year and read various articles, commentaries and biblical teachings or reading plans on STRENGTH and Isaiah 40:31, seeking "What does Isaiah 40:31 mean?" through searches. If you read my previous post, you'll recall that I wasn't sure what kind of STRENGTH I needed or might need in 2021 or why God placed STRENGTH on my heart for the One Word I needed to focus on (perhaps it was meant for someone else near to me, or me to be able to minister comfort and encouragement for the many of us, who have felt so weary, so weak with the many weights upon us or for the near future to be prepared). Then I came upon this article, "The Strength You Need for Today" (similar to 2 of the books I shared) but this was written pre-Covid so how much more we need this now. The full article is good, but it's the following first line that struck me:
| "The strength you want most may not be the strength you need most, because the weakness you feel may not be the real source of your weakness." ... |
However, the main reason that I wanted to share on this verse before 2021 ended was so that I might impart some meaning behind this powerful promise to us! I have loved this verse since 1990 and when I retired, I became very interested in observing "Eagles" yet I am far from an expert just an interested observer and reader. So rather than write the meaning of this verse for me myself, I decided that I would link to the most recent article I found that, in my opinion, is the best. It is so well written that I could never improve upon it except if I gave a personal application or experience that would testify to the STRENGTH I find or found in my life. But that would take an entire book on a lifetime of God at work in me - renewing my STRENGTH and building my trust in God & rebuilding trust in humans. So I have opted out of my personal sharing for this article that covers:
- Who wrote Isaiah 40:31 and when was it written?
- What is the context of Isaiah 40?
- What is the meaning of Isaiah 40:31?
- What does ‘those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength’ mean?
- What does it mean to mount up with wings like eagles?
- What does it mean they shall run and not be weary?
- What does it mean ‘they shall walk and not faint’ mean?
- What is the difference in biblical translations of Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV, NIV & ESV)
- Isaiah 40:31 NKJV biblical translation says:
- Isaiah 40:31 NIV biblical translation says:
- Isaiah 40:31 ESV biblical translation says:
- How does Isaiah 40:31 give me encouragement?
- How can I apply Isaiah 40:31 to my life?
Clearly #10 is the personal application and so much better than what I might share.
Yet I firmly believe that ...
| "Gracious Father, I magnify Your Holy name and exalt Your majesty. I pray that my faith in You increases from day to day. I stand before You so that my strength, heart, soul, and mind will be renewed. Give me the strength to walk the difficult and narrow paths of life because I can’t do it alone. By Your Spirit, help me to run the race that is set before me with endurance and absolute dependency on You so that I can win the prize. This I pray in Christ's name. AMEN " |
Wow! Loved this post! The quote was enough to reel me in to reading the article now, and then I read this – “When Saul “increased all the more in strength,” God wasn’t refreshing his body to survive another day; he was filling him with power to do the impossible. Thanks for the blessing of your “create”ive blog post and for the many you’ve shared in past years.
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