God Will Give You Wings

Introduction

As a way of introduction, I want to look at these verses in the proper context, and then we will get to the main message...This is one of the most familiar verses in all the Bible, but to study it in context, let's back up to verse 27...That's where this section of the chapter really begins.

I-A Common Problem (v. 27)

A. Notice the question of the prophet Isaiah.

"Hid" — sense of unknown, neglected. "Judgment" — case, suit. A skeptical despair as to the fulfillment of God's promises.

B. We've all been there.

We suffer, and God seems indifferent. We see injustice, and God does not right it. Others hear a message; our heavens are quiet. Others get answers; we get none.

C. Problem — we take weaknesses in ourselves and project them on God: "God has forgotten us; He has passed us by; our wrongs and sufferings are disregarded by Him as if hidden from Him."

II-A Correcting Picture (v. 28)

A. The Prophet Isaiah appeals to their intelligence.

He gets their attention away from emotion, our usual focus in difficult times. Illus. Rubber snake in a seat...we know it’s not real, but we still react with emotion, not fact. It’s not real, it’s not going to hurt you, but you’re still scared of it...

B. The Prophet Isaiah emphasizes the attributes of God.

He is everlasting ("beyond the vanishing point"). He is creator — implies providence; if He created it, surely He will sustain it. He has no infirmities — God is wholly free from whatever is weak in man. He is unsearchable — unfathomable intelligence; a wise purpose in each providence.

C. The Prophet Isaiah reminds them of the character and the purposes of God: Belief will relieve us of a load of care.

III-A Complete Provision (vv. 29-31)

A. Weakness is to be expected (v. 30)

"Even the youths ... even the young man." Those who are young are not always strong. No matter the age. We all get weary and faint. Young men get exhausted, stumble, stagger, and fall. There are no supermen.

B. Provision is made (v. 29)

God has ways of reviving weakness and restoring faith. The insufficiency of human strength and the adequacy of the divine is shown. We faint, we have no might, but He giveth power, He increaseth strength... Psalm 18:2—The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 118:14—The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. Psalm 46:1—God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

C. Power is provided beyond provision.

God makes special provision.

Renews strength. Provides for every area of life.

God can and does provide.

Resistance Endurance Ability to be steadfast in holiness. Joy Faithful utterance Perseverence in good works.

The secret lies in waiting on God. (verse 31)

There's four things I want to give you concerning waiting on the LORD...

“They that wait upon the LORD”

I. Shall Receive Strength For Their Weaknesses -

1. They Shall Renew Their Physical Strength -

Luk 22:43-44 KJV - And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

God will strengthen us as He did Jesus in the Garden. We like Jesus can receive Physical Strength.

2. They shall Renew Their Mental Strength -

Rom 12:2 KJV - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We can certainly be transformed to find the perfect will of God by renewing our Mind by the word of God.

3. They Shall renew their Moral Strength -

Eph 6:10 KJV - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

The only way to renew your moral strength is in And through The power of the Lord.

We do this by putting on the whole armor of God.

4. They Shall renew their Spiritual strength -

Luk 24:49 KJV - And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Spirit filled life is the only way to renew your Spiritual Strength.

You can be Spirit filled by simply asking for it.

Luk 11:13 KJV - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

“They that wait upon the LORD”

II. Shall Enjoy Soaring with our Wings - “...mount up with wings as eagles”

Live in the place where the things of Earth grow strangely Dim. Fly so high in life that you become lost to sight.

Col 3:1-2 KJV - If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

“They that wait upon the LORD”

III. Shall accomplish the Supernatural in their Work - “They shall run, and not be Weary”

It is not Natural to Run and not be Weary. We are able through Him to do the Supernatural.

Jhn 14:12 KJV - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Phl 4:13 KJV - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Jos 1:5-9 KJV - There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

"They that wait upon the LORD”

IV. Shall Live Successfully in Their Walk -“They shall walk and not Faint”

Power and Patience are used for the common task.

Heb 12:1-3 KJV - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We can run the Race that is set before us only if we Consider what Jesus has Accomplished for us and, and look to Him with patience for that power to do the job.

Conclusion

If you go back and look. I began back in verse 27...In my Bible I've written and I encourage you to write this in the margin of your's too...in verse 27 we find "feelings" in verse 28 and 29, we find "facts" and in verse 31, we find "faith".

You see, that common problem is feelings, the correcting picture is facts, and the complete provision is brought to us by faith...

Facts form the foundation; faith rests on facts; and feelings come last.

For most people, feelings are the guiding factor in life. If they feel something, they think it is real. If they do not feel anything, they think it is not real. But this is not according to God's order.

Others try to put faith first. They think that if they have enough "faith," they can make anything come true. But this is not God's way either. God wants us to have faith, but our faith must rest on His Word; otherwise it is of no value.

Use your imaginations this morning and picture a train...

FACT is the engine of the train of the Christian life which pulls the car of FAITH behind with the caboose pulling up the rear, filled with FEELINGS.

You have to keep that order correct or the train won't move - You put the caboose of feelings up front and guess what, the train won't go anywhere - the engine has to be first, which is the facts of the Word of God...

We see in the passage this morning that Israel was stuck seeing only their feelings and they were going nowhere, but the prophet give them some facts and got their eyes back on track, which in turn fueled their faith in God and the train got to moving again

In a world that is in a constant state of change, it's good to know there are some things which never change. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging, regardless of my faith or my feelings or even my knowledge about it. That Gospel is the engine which pulls my little life along, even when my faith is tiny and my feelings constantly want to jump the track in one direction or another.