Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:27–31 ESV

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

where are you god?

Have you ever walked through something difficult in your life..

and asked the question.. where is god in all of this?

Doesn’t he see what Im going through?

Introduction

I want to remind you this morning that when we walk through difficult season of our lives, not to give up.

because we’re not alone..

we serve a god who is ever present in our troubles..

He gives us the strength to navigate our storms

So Trust in him..

Isaiah

Thats the message the prophet is speaking here in chapter 40 of Isaiah..

He’s tells the people of Israel..

God has not abandoned you..

He hasn’t given up on you..

Context

At this point in history

Israel is in Babylonian captivity..

Promised land to exile

God had delivered Israel from Egypt and the dessert

and brought them into the promised land..

But over the years Israel slowly turned their back on God and gave themselves over into idle worship..

They forsook the commands of god..

and so God allowed the king on Babylon to come and carry them off into captivity..

an event that God for-warned them of multiple times..

and finally in 586BC Babylon came and finished its conquest of the land..

carrying off many of the people of Israel to the kingdom of Babylon into captivity..

So as the prophet is writing here in chapter 40..

Israel is sitting in captivity..

uncertain about their future..

and defeated as a people..

wondering where god is in their situation..

and look what he writes to them..

Isaiah 40:27–28 ESV

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah addresses the question of the hearts of the people of Israel..

Maybe a question you’ve had at times in your life as well.

“Where are you god?”

“don’t you see whats going on here?”

“Don’t you our problems?”

But Isaiah says.. why do you ask that question?

Don’t you remember the God we serve?

He’s the god who never ends..

Hes everlasting!

He’s the creator!

He was before us and will be after us..

in fact He made the world and all thats in it..

He created you Israel…

He ordained you and set you apart..

He is almighty GOD!

He doesn't get tired..

he has endless strength

And he knows everything!!

GOD IS NOT ABSENT..

HE IS NOT IGNORANT OF YOUR STRUGGLE..

HES GOD AND HE SEES YOU..

God sees you right where you are..

I want to remind something this morning that God knows right where you are.. and what your going through..

Psalm 139:2 ESV

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

Psalm 139:8 ESV

If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

Job 23:10 ESV

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Psalm 46:1 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Matthew 28:20 ESV

… I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God knows where we are..

he knows what we are going through..

and he is present in the middle of it

and he’s not just an absent bystanders in our situation..

He’s there to help!

look how Isaiah continues..

Encouragement in the struggle

Isaiah 40:29 ESV

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

God wants to help us in our circumstance..

When we think we can’t go another step hes the one who gives power to the faint..

When we have no strength to carry on.. He increases strength

Paul writes it like this..

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You see when you come to the end of your self.. You have only begun to see the power of god..

Because when we get to the point we can no longer carry it..

He shows us just how capable he is of carrying it..

Life hack.. and can I give you a life hack.. you dont have to wait until youve exhausted yourself to let god carry it..

Jesus in Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

HE IS STRONG..

AND HE GIVES HIS PEOPE STRENGTH..

look what it says..

Isaiah 40:30–31 ESV

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 AMP

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.

That word wait means expectant trust and hope…

Its saying those who put their trust and hope in the lord..

who put their eyes on him..

shall gain new strength and renew their power..

It will refresh them..

give them what they need to make it through..

They shall mount up with wings like eagles..

and they shall endure..

Overcoming Like Eagles

I want to look really quick at that line in verse 31..

They shall mount up with wings like eagles..

I did some research.. about eagles…

Because god compares those who hope and expect in him to eagles..

and I found three things that I think can encourage us when we walk through the different struggles of our lives..

1. Eagles have Strength to continue

An Eagles can travel over 225 miles per day and soar for hours

The eagle doesn’t depend on its own strength when trying to stay aloft. It depends on the winds utilizing thermals and updrafts.

You see the problems is most of us try to over power and overcome our circumstance in our own strength..

and when we do.. we wear our selves our and end up exhausted..

But an eagle does do that..

It instead uses the resources around it to glide.. instead of flap its wings..

when we encounter trying times in our life that test our endurance and perseverance.

We have to learn to become dependent on the wind of the spirit instead of our own strength..

we have to learn to put the burdens in gods hands.. and let him carry it..

to trust him and be lead by the holy spirit as we navigate our storm..

and in doing so we become dependent on him and his strength instead of our own limited strength..

Thats how you can persist through storms that seem like they have no end..

because you dont depend on your own strength..

You depend on gods and you let him carry you..

remember what isaiah said?

Isaiah 40:29 ESV

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

2. Eagles find Peace in the Chaos

Eagles can fly up to heights of up to 20,000 feet.

When eagles encounter bad storms they don’t run and hide from them..

They don’t wait them out..

They rise above the storm and the clouds into the sunshine..

In the same way.. when we walk into difficult times of lifes.. believers have the ability to get above the storms to the throne room of god and his presence..

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Thats what that phrase mount up means..

ascend..

When we encounter storms and difficult seasons of life..

we have a place we can go to get away from the storm

a place of peace..

Proverbs 18:10 ESV

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Psalm 91:1–3 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

Psalm 46:1 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 61:1–2 ESV

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

When we encounter difficult seasons in life..

We have to learn to run to the rock..

to get to the refuge..

to rise above the clouds and get into the present of god..

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We can rise above the storms and find peace in our god!

3. Eagles have Help in times of trouble

Eagles have a special third set of eyelids.. this set of eye lids acts like a set of goggles.. that when the eagle is engaged in an attack or diving for prey the goggles work to protect the eyes from dust, dirt and even sunlight..

when attacked, the eagle will position itself with the sun between it and its attacker.. This gives is an advantage because it is better equipped to deal with the sun than its attacker..

When christians are under attach… we have been given the privilege to invite God right down into the middle of the situation.. And everything thats not of him is unable to withstand the glory of his presence!

John 1:1–5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I’ve come to remind you this morning, that when you face attacks of many kinds..

Invite the light right down into the middle of the situation..

THE CHURCH NEEDS TO learn to get ahold of god and interceed again..

to grab hold of the horns of the altar..

to grab hold of god and bring the light into the drakness..

and the bible says the darkness must flee..

Depend on the holy spirit for strength..

Rise above the storms into his presence..

and invite the light into the darkness..

and it will give you strength to carry one..

Ending

Are you weary today?

are you here in need of strength?

God sees where you are..

and he wants to help you through the storm..