Power and Strenght for the New Year

Isaiah 40:29-31

Intro: This passage, and especially verse 31, has been a favorite of the Lord’s people for thousands of years. All of these verses are a blessing because they speak to us about who God is and about that He does for His people.

He shares His power, strength and help will all those who depend on Him! What an encouragement that should be to the people of God today!

Verse 30 reminds us that even the strongest of humans is prone to weakness and failure. We all have the potential to experience times of physical, emotional and spiritual weakness. Regardless of how well you may have handled situations in the past, there is always the possibility that you will grow weak under the various loads of life you are called on to endure.

However 31a makes it clear that those who “wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.” The word “wait” has the idea of “looking to, or hoping in.” In other words, those who do not look to their own power, but who rest in His unfailing strength will have their own strength renewed out of His abundant, unending recourses. The word “renew” means “to sprout again like the grass.”

The strength the Lord’s people enjoy as they move through the various changing vistas of life is an amazing provision from the Lord. Just as the grass appears upon the earth in the spring as if by magic, turning the brown, dreary landscape into a carpet of brilliant green, so the vitality of the believer is renewed from the vast supplies of the Lord. His gracious provision of strength for all the days of our lives, promises us that there will be grace regardless of where the path of life might lead us.

Verse 31b. In that short, but powerful verse, the Lord makes a promise to His people. In this verse we see people who are operating in different gears. Some are soaring, some are Sprintingand some are strolling. What I want you to see today is that whatever gear thou might find yourself operating in,

The word “renew” in verse 31 carries the idea of “exchange.” When we trust in Him, we exchange our weakness, for His strength. We exchange our inability for His ability. We exchange our shortcomings for His completeness. As Dr. Warren W. Weirs be said,

There are times when it seems there is little energy left in our spiritual sails. There are times when we feel defeated and deflated and unable to rise above our circumstances. I just want you to know that regardless of how low you may feel today spiritually, there is help in the Lord for you!

He promises here to help you “mount up with wings as eagles.” The words “mount up” mean “to ascend.” When an eagle flaps its wings and heads into the sky, it is a wonderful thing to behold. This great bird, held to the ground by the same gravity that binds us to the earth, stretches out those massive wings and with on great flap, it is airborne. It quickly rises, breaking the grip of gravity, rising higher until it is able to soar high above this world with its dangers, its strife and its problems.

Those who learn to “hope in the Lord” find that same kind of liberty in Him. He has a way of helping us break free from the things that bind us. He has a way of helping us to get above our problems, other people, sins, valleys, emotions, etc. He has a way of allowing us to soar above the difficulties of this life.

Have you ever experienced such a time in your life? Has there been a time when it seems like there was no hope and no way out, and the Lord gave you the strength to rise above it all?

When an eagle in the sky encounters a storm, it does not have to land. It does not have to fly through that storm. The eagle turns its eyes toward the heavens and it rises above the approaching storm. While the storm lashes the earth beneath with its wind and rain, the mighty eagle flies above the clouds with its face toward the sun.

My friends, that is possible for us as well. The Lord here promises to give you the strength you need to be able to surmount your storms and fly high above them