God will give you strength

Good Morning, Please turn with me in your Bibles this morning to , first let me pray then we will get started.

Heavenly Father I thank You for granting us another day, I thank you for each of these gfamilies represted here this morning, and for those who are traveling we ask for traveling mercies and for those who are sick and can not be with us we ask for healing. We ask all of these things according to your will and your purpose. Speak to our hearts Lord in Jesus name I pray amen.

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.

Isaiah 40:27-31

The first time I remember hearing these words i was a student in North Florida Christian School in Tallahassee Florida. I was in the third grade. This was our schools verse it was on every TShirt and form they printed, I didnt realize it at the time but god was planting this verse deep within my heart and oh what an awesome passage it is.

I’d like to label the message this morning, GOD WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH.

A Famous story Winston Churchill who led Britain to a great victory in WW2 was defeated in 1945, in the aftermath of his defeat his wife clementine hoping to console her husband suggested that the defeat was just a blessing in disguise.

To which Churchill responds… if it be so then the blessing is very well disguised. Have you ever felt like that in your life? If not you will, life is filled with defeats and rejection, heartaches and pain. that really do bring us to moments where we are prone to look up and wonder Lord what good can come out of this?

These closing verses of bring great comfort for those difficult times. This chapter is a turning point in Isaiah’s prophecy, the prophecy of Isaiah divides into 2 sections.

1-39 WARN OF THE IMPENDING JUDGMENT THAT IS TO COME ON GODS STUBBORNLY REBELLIOUS PEOPLE.

But by the time we get to chapter 40 there is a new section where it assumes at this point that Israel has been defeated its armies have been overtaken the city of Jerusalem has been captured but now Isaiah is sent to the people of God with a new message

Isaiah 40:1–2 ESV

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Here in the prophet begins to extend comfort to the weary and troubled people of God. Promising deliverance by the mighty hand of God, as you read there is also references to the ultimate deliverance that is to come through the arrival of the Messiah King the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ whom God has promised. But when you get to the end of it says that there is still a dillemma what are these weary, tired and broke down people to do in the mean time? Until the deliverance comes?

The King is on the way to rescue them but it is a long way from Isaiah to the birth of Jesus, how many of you know that when your going through trials and turmoil, God may tell you everything is going to be alright but it may actually be awhile before everything fells like it is going to be alright?

So what are these weak weary worn out people to do, what are we to do when we are weak weary and worn out as we wait for God to send our deliverance?

These closing verses are for the mean time. You might be in here this morning and you are broken hearted, you might be in the middle of a spiritual battle, you may just be overwhelmed with life. This one is for you…

GOD WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH IF YOU TRUST HIM IN YOUR TIME OF WEAKNESS.

These words were origionally given to the people of god as they waited on the Messiah to come, we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ benefit from these words as we wait for Him to come again. In the days and times around us make us seek out good in the trouble and the difficult times that we are callled to live in.

But also personally as we seek to do God’s will, as we labor for the gospel we will face trhe dangers and toils and snares of life. Motivational speakers masquerading as gospel preachers will try to tell you that following Jesus will mean no pain and no sorrow while you live on this Earth now. NOT SO

But the good news is if you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ you can live with assurance that Gods strength is REAL, AND AVAILABLE AND SUFFICIENT.

Throughout life one thing we will live and experience is that if you love god and you are called according to His purposes is that it really is true that God can take ALL THINGS BOTH THE BAD AND THE GOOD AND WORK THE TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD.

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God will give you strength if you trust Him in your time of weakness.

First we see that god will give you strength

IF YOU REMEMBER TO WORSHIP HIM

Isaiah 40:27

Isaiah 40:27 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”?

This is god addressing His people as they complain against Him. notice the graphic language they used when they complained against God. They feel God is hiding from them, they feel god is disregarding them they dont just feel this, Jacob is saying this. It is their complaint against God.

Have you ever felt that way?

That God was playing hide and go seek just when you needed Him the most? Have you ever felt like God disregarded your desperate please for help? This is how the people of God feel here in the text. interestingly Isaiah acknowledges how they feel without affirming how they feel.

He recoignizes and rebukes their complaints at the same time.

WHY DO YOU TALK LIKE THIS JACOB, O ISRAEL

WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT GOD IS HIDING....?

This bleeds into verse 28

Isaiah 40:28 ESV

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.

Notice how he says what He says he doesnt say do you know.... He is saying DONT YOU KNOW. One of the things Isaiah is pointing out to them is that they already know who God is, so if they know who god is then why are they asking such foolish questions… Trials will make you ask stupid things wont they?

If you are not focused on who God is then trials can make you think that God has abandoned you when we knnow that He proimises to never leave us nor forsake us. Isaiah says before I am about to tell you what I am about to tell you let me first tell you something you should already know.

In other words Isaiah is saying here I aint trying to tell you something new I am trying to remind you of some things you must have forgotten. These are things you should already know God is not hiding from you, God has not deserted you.

The problem he states here is not that god has moved but that you are looking in the wrong direction. You need to look up and be reminded who your God is… He reminds them he declares firs that the Lord is eternal. He says first that the Lord is the EVERLASTING GOD, god is not bound by the world of clocks and calendars and day timers and schedules, god lives in one eternal NOW.

Psalm David writes from everlasting to everlasting you are God, in eternity past god was god all by himself and when this hiccup of time that exist now is over then God will still be god alone in eternity future He is from everlasting to everlasting.

this reminds us that GODS TIMING IS PERFECT, because He is the everlasting God TOO EARLY AND TOO LATE THOSE THINGS DONT EVEN EXIST IN GODS VOCABULARY.

Whenever God moves its always the right time, god’s timing is perfect. How long was it before the rain and the flood that god showed up for Noah… when it was still the right time. He showed up for shadrach Meshack and Abednego while they were in the fiery furnace but it was still the right time.

he didnt show up for Mary and Martha until after Lazarus had been dead for 4 days and they declared that ole Lazarus was stinky by now but it was still the right time.

You can’t hurry god, naw you just have to wait, you just have to trust Him and give Him time no matter how long it takes. He is a God you can’t hurry but He’ll be there dont worry , for He may not come when you want Him but He is always right on time.

He is eternal, but not only is god eternal but he also declares here

In verse 28 that GOD IS SOVERIGN He is the creator of the ends of the Earth, you will hear people say the Bible is hard to believe but I have said it before Ill say it again, there is only one hard verse in the Bible. if you can believe that god created everything by the breath of His mouth then you can believe the rest of the bible.

HE IS THE CREATOR GOD WHO CREATED SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING!

But if He created all things then He rules over all things, so whever you find yourself god is still in charge of that situation and if He can speak and create the universe then you gotta believe He knows what He is doing in your life right now.

But then He says God is omnipotent not only is He the creator of all things He is all powerful and he tells us this by telling us what god cannot do. HE CANNOT FAINT, HE DOES NOT GROW WEARY FRIENDS WE NEED TO PRAISE GOD FOR WHAT GOD DOES NOT DO!

You may have people in your life that you believe you can count on in moments of great weakness thats good but be careful about putting your trust in man as we will see in a moment, you think you could trust on people for your times of weakness but whatever the problem is let me just wanr you it better not be too big, it better not last too long, and definately it better not cost too much.

Isaiah 40:28 HCSB

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.

Human resources inevitably run out, but when they all run out consider this about our God HE NEVER FAILS HIS LOVE NEVER RUNS OUT, HE IS NEVER WEARY!

Not only is this god eternal, and soverign, and all powerful.

Isaiah declares He is all wise.

HIS UNDERSTANDING IS UNSEARCHABLE.

Not only is God able, God always knows what He is doing.

Psalm 145

Psalm 145:3 ESV

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

Our God is all wise there is no searching of His understanding, we have all heard the story of the 5 loaves and the two fish. However there may be a part in the story youve missed, Jesus looks over and asked Phillip where will we find bread that these may eat, contains a little explanation in the next verse this Jesus asked to test Phillip for He Himself knew what He would do.

What a great comfort God’s word is to my heart as we face uncertain futures there is hope from the word of god in the person of Jesus Christ that even when life is chaotic to us GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING.

God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to preform, He plats His feet upon the sea and rides on every storm, judge not the Lord by feeble sense but trust Him for His grace for behind his frowning providence He hides His smiling face.

Here in verse 29 Isaiah says god will give you strength but you gotta stop looking around and being consumed with whats happening around you, you have to look up and remember who your god is.

GOD GIVES STRENGTH TO THOSE WHO REMEMBER TO WORSHIP HIM

GOD GIVES STRENGTH

TO THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WEAKNESS TO HIM

Isaiah 40:29 ESV

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

Isaiah

God is not stingy with His strength He is willing to share it, but theres a condition do you see it?

He gives power to the faint and to them who have no might He increases strength

There are Christians who go around quoting the saying “God helps those who help themselves as if its in the Bible ITS NOT. That’s from Benjamin Franklins poor richards almanac not scripture.

Scripture teaches the direct opposite of God helps those who help themselves, listen to Isaiah say HE GIVES POWER TO THE FAINT, AND TO THE ONE WHO HAS NO MIGHT WHATSOEVER GOD INCREASES STRENGTH.

Freinds any attitude of selfsufficiencey automatically disqualifies you from divine empowerment you cant get divine help if you think your strong enough on your own. To recieve His strength you must acknowledge that you are weak

To receive His salvation you must first admit you are lost to recieve cleansing you must admit and confess you have sinned. To experience how great god is you must be willing to admit how weak you are.

On one occasion the champ mohammed ali boarded a plane and he is putting on his routine for the passengers as they are gettin settled in. Until finally the flight attendant tells him were about to take off champ you need to sit down and buckle up. He refused. He and the flight attendant started going back and forth and trusting that He was gonna have the last word he says to the lady “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, IM SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN DOESNT NEED A SEATBELT, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAID CHAMP YOUR RIGHT BUT SUPERMAN DOESNT NEED A PLANE EITHER SO SIT DOWN AND BUCKEL UP.

I hate to be the one to break it to you friend but you are not as strong as you think you are, all it takes is one phone call, all it takes is one letter in the mail, all it takes is one meeting, all it takes is one trip to the dr office, all it takes is a car sliding out of its lane into yours unexpectedly.

It takes so little for life to confront us with the fact that we are not as strong as we think we are.

“THE ONE HAS GOD AND OTHER THINGS REALLY HAS NOTHING MORE THAN THE ONE WHO HAS GOD ALONE, WE HAVE OTHER THINGS

Money and education and skilland experience but you will face times in life where money cant buy you out of it, and your education cant think you through it, and your connections cant pull you out of it.

Oh but my friend what you do have if you have God on your side He is everything youn need in your time of weakness. Be warned by the life of Uzziah,

He took the throne of Judah as king when he was 16 years old and reigned for 52 years but his initial success turned into great failure, 2 Corinthians tells us that Uzziah was marvelously helped by god until He became STRONG and when he became strong he was lifted up in pride to his own destruction, HE THOUGHT HIS POSITION GAVE HIM THE RIGHT TO USURP THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PRIEST, AS HE TRIED TO INTRUDE AND CONTROL THE PRIEST GOD STRUCK HIM WITH LEPROSY, AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MEN ON EARTH DIES A LONELY LEPER IN AN ISOLATED HOUSE>

His story reminds us of the power of weakness how as long as this great man recognized his weakness God helped him, in fact the Chronicler says god marvelously helped him. But when he began to trust in himself, god put him in his place.

Dont fall in love with yourself, and be like Uzziah. Humble yourself and be like Paul who recognized the power of weakness, and declared now I prefer infirmity and weakness because when I am weak then I am strong.

God gives strength to those who remember to worship Him, god gives strength to those who acknowledge thier weakness to Him

God gives strength

TO THOSE WHO ARE DETERMINED TO WAIT ON HIM

Phillip Brooks shocked a friend who paced back and forth across the floor filled with anxiety, the friend asked what the matter was and it is said that Brooks said that the matter is as simple as this, I am in a hurry and god is not.

Could that be why your life is filled with worry doubt and fear? Could it be as simple as that, that you are in a hurry and god is not? ‘God will give you strength friend but you must be determined to wait on Him.

Psalm 27

Psalm 27:14 ESV

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

God will give you strength if you wait on Him, He will give you renewed strength

Isaiah 40:30

Isaiah 40:30 ESV

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

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.

That is if you trust God in your time of weakness whatever it may be, if you bring it to God you can trade in your weakness for Gods strength.

Isaiah is saying you can put your trust in man but you will be dissapointed every time. Or you can wait on the Lord and if you trade in your weakness for His strength it is enough.

THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT

These 3 pictures make one point God will give you strength as strength is needed. The promise is not that you will feel strong in fact it is better that you dont feel strong. the stronger you feel the more seflsufficient you become but the weaker you feel the more youll lean on him.

So if it is a sudden storm and you put your trust in the Lord you will mount over it like an eagle mounts over a sudden storm, or maybe it is an extended sickness or trial if you wait on the Lord like a marathon athlete you can run and not be weary.

Or maybe its the daily walk of life and its challenges he will renew your strength so you will walk and not faint.

I think its interesting that he says you mount up then you run then you walk. It aint how I would have written it.

When talking about trials it would make more sense to start out walking, then run, then moutn up over the problem. Thatll preach.

But thats not what it says it says the opposite.

Because when a trial comes if your trusting him he lifts you up, allows you to fly over it to gain perspective, then as the storm begins to dissapte and your coming in for a landing you hit the ground running, and then you walk in perfect peace.

The point of the Christian life is not you simply being lifted out of one problem after another it is the occassional lifting up during a storm with the understanding that you will keep on trusting when its over.

Its that you learn to walk when the sun is out stil relying upon god for everything.

A father was walking with his little girla dn they would go on long walk together and one day they had traveled quite a ways and he asked the little girl do you know where you are?

She said no

He said do you know how to get home form here?

She said no

He said well you sure are a brave little girl to be out here and you dont even know how to get home are you afraid she said no daddy I dont have to be afraid Im with you.

In life in difficulty, in weariness. you dont have to be afraid because god is with you.

(Let’s pray)