Isaiah was ministering to Israel at a time when the nation was decaying within. Many in Israel were carnal and living in sin. As a result, they were troubled on every side. Isaiah urged them to return to the Lord. Here in Isaiah 40, he urged them to renew their view of God’s greatness. Then he closes the chapter with promises for those who wait upon the LORD. These promises are universally true, even today.

Problems, burdens, cares, sickness, stress, and “what ifs” often threaten to overwhelm us. When that happens, God tells us that we must wait upon Him. The root of the word “wait” means to twist together as a cord or rope, giving extra strength. This reminds me of Solomon’s words in (Ecclesiastes 4:12) “… a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Paul said in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” John added, (1 John 4:4) “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

When we are discouraged, God wants us to draw near to Him rather than pushing away from Him. We must trust Him. One way to do this is to review verses that highlight God’s greatness, like (Psalms 147:4-5) “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

God is not our problem; He is our solution. The Psalmist tells us to “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,” (Ps 27:10). Waiting on the Lord includes meditating on God’s word, claiming His promises, reviewing God’s blessings and spending more time in prayer.

Transition

In Isaiah 40:31, God makes four promises that we need to claim when we feel overwhelmed.

God promises renewed strength.

  1. The condition
    1. We must wait on the LORD.
    2. We must spend extra time with the Lord.
    3. We must trust Him. David said, (Psalms 23:4) “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: ...” David walked through that valley. It was just a shadow of death, not death itself. Such valleys are times of danger, pain, sorrow or sickness that cause us to fear. When in those valleys, we must trust the Lord and not fear.
  2. The promise
    1. He will renew our strength.
    2. The word “renew” means to pass something on. It is an exchange. God will exchange His strength for our weakness. He will pass on His strength to us.
  3. We know that His strength is unlimited.
    1. The Bible promises this. (Jeremiah 32:17) “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:“
    2. God’s past provisions for us promise this, if we will take the time to recount them.

God promises an eagle’s view.

  1. The condition
    1. We must wait on the Lord. We must draw near to God.
    2. This condition applies to each of these four promises.
  2. The promise
    1. We will mount up with wings as eagles. Eagles have powerful wings, enabling them to fly very high in the air.
    2. We will, with God’s enablement, rise up on high. He will cause us, as if we had spiritual eagle’s wings, to lift high above our burdens and cares.
    3. We know that above the clouds, the sun is always shining. The devil wants the storm clouds of despair to discourage us. God wants to enable us to fly above the storm clouds in the sunshine of His love.
    4. In Exodus 19:4, we read, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” While some claim that eagles never do this, others witness that they have actually seen it take place. Whether the “wings as eagles” in our text refer to God carrying us or enabling us, either way, He promises us an eagle’s view rather than a snake’s view.

God promises a runner’s endurance.

  1. The condition
    1. Once again, the condition is that we wait on the Lord.
    2. God cannot show Himself strong on our behalf if we do not fully depend on Him.
  2. The promise
    1. Isaiah said, “They shall run, and not be weary.”
    2. Running takes endurance. Without training, a person cannot run very far or very fast without exhaustion. Even Olympic runners breathe heavily and feel weary after a strenuous run.
    3. When discouraged by the burdens of life, we do not feel like moving quickly. Depressed, discouraged, burdened people lack ambition. When weighed down with care, we are tempted to sit and feel sorry for ourselves. Just as lack of exercise robs people of physical health, so lack of spiritual exercise will rob of spiritual health.
    4. God wants us to run the Christian race. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.“
    5. God promises that if we wait on Him, He will enable us to run with endurance. The word “weary” depicts work that brings about heavy breathing and weariness. God will enable us to run the Christian race, even during times of trial, without becoming breathless or weary. He will help us to endure.

God promises a walk without fatigue.

  1. The condition
    1. Yes, the condition is to wait on the Lord.
    2. We cannot even walk properly in the Christian life without depending on the Lord.
  2. The promise
    1. God promises, “they shall walk and not faint.”
    2. Walking is the day-to-day plodding on in life. God cares about our daily walk. He knows that when we are discouraged, troubled or burdened, even our daily becomes a difficult challenge. We just get tired of plodding on. We may even feel like quitting.
    3. When we feel like that, we must cling to God’s promise that with His enablement, we shall walk, and not faint. The word “faint” literally means, to cover the eyes with the eyelids; to tire. God will keep us from getting so fatigued and tired out with the burdens of life that we feel like going to sleep spiritually.
    4. With God’s help, we can keep on walking.

Conclusion

I do not know about you, but I need Isaiah’s reminder and these promises often. Life can be discouraging.

If you have been feeling down, discouraged, or even depressed, the answer is to wait on the Lord. Draw near Him. If He is for you, who can stand against you? Twined with God, your rope will be unbreakable. You CAN have renewed strength. You CAN get an eagle’s view. You CAN run with endurance. You CAN walk without fatigue.

In Lamentations 3:25, Jeremiah wrote, “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him ...” Have you been waiting on the Lord as you should? If not, ask the Lord to forgive you and begin this very evening. If you need some guidance, come and see me.

Song: They That Wait Upon the Lord.

Wait! Don’t Quit!

16 April 2023 PM – Isaiah 40:31 – Bumps – Scott Childs