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Isaiah 40.31 Strength For The Day
Isaiah 40.31 Strength For The Day
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Wrong Number
1. One day a woman was doing some things around her house when she thought
of another woman in her church.
2. She had the strong impression to call her, so she went to the phone and dialed
3. She asked how she was doing and the woman said, "I feel terrible."
a. "I have a splitting headache and my back and legs are killing me."
b. "The house is a mess, and the kids are simply driving me crazy."
4. The caller sympathetically said, "Listen, go and lie down, I'll come over right
away and cook lunch for you, clean up the house, and take care of the children
while you get some rest. By the way, how's Sam?"
5. "Sam?" the complaining housewife said. "My husband's name is Phil!"
6. "My heavens," exclaimed the first woman, "I must have dialed the wrong
number."
7. There was a long pause, then the second woman asked hopefully, "Will you
still coming over?"
8. I'll bet a whole lot of you ladies can relate to that!
B. Life!
1. If we were to take a poll this morning, we would likely find a significant
number of us feel stretched to the limit
2. Our schedules are so full and there are so many demands placed on us that we
wonder whether we'll make it
3. I talked with a high school student this week who is working and going to
school; felt stretched, in over his head.
4. Turns out a lot of students feel that way
a. what between school, sports, work, family, and church -
b. they need another 5 hours and way more strength to get done all that needs
doing
5. Some of us this morning came with almost a sense of desperation
a. life has ganged up on them
b. and they came with the sincere hope that they would hear something that
would give them courage -
c. something that would renew their strength and enable them to keep on
keeping on
6. If you're not one of those who's in such a place of need this morning - listen
anyway because you eventually will be.
II. TEXT
A. Vs. 29-31
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases
strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on 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.
1. Chapter 40 is a message of comfort God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to
the Jews who would return from their exile in Babylon.
2. In Chapter 39, Isaiah foretold the destruction of the nation and the city of
Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians
3. Not only would they destroy the city, but they would dismantle the temple and
carry off the people into captivity
4. But after 70 years, once the people returned to Him in heartfelt and sincere
repentance, He would return to them and restore them to their land and homes
5. Chapter 40 is a message of encouragement and comfort to the exiles who
would make the return journey and rebuild the ruined cities of Israel.
6. And they are words they desperately needed to hear!
7. Think of how great the task before the returning exiles was
a. the Babylonians had ravaged the countryside
b. the city walls were all dismantled
c. the houses were broken down
d. the wells were stopped up with stones
e. the fields and vineyards had been burned
f. a good portion of the forests had been cut down to use for making siege
equipment
8. The land, which had been cultivated and domesticated by previous generations
of Jews had by this time reverted to a wilderness in which dangerous creatures
roamed
9. They faced a task that was worse than starting from scratch -
10. They had to first remove the rubble and debris before they could begin
rebuilding!
11. The undertaking was overwhelming
12. And it caused many of the Jews who had settled down in Babylon to opt out of
the return
13. They were content to stay put rather than face the challenge of rebuilding
B. You?
1. Have you ever faced a project so immense that you decided to just forget it?
a. cleaning the garage or that closet
b. replacing the fence
c. repainting the house
2. As you stood there and looked at it, you got tired and a sense of weariness
settled on you?
a. a pile of clothes that needed to be ironed
b. the windows that need to be cleaned
c. the kitchen cabinets that need to be refinished
d. that back yard that is full of weeds
3. Multiply that by a hundred and you have something of the immensity of the
task before the returning exiles.
4. They didn't have a garage, closet, or backyard to deal with - what faced them
was an entire nation - whole cities!
5. To these returning exiles, faced with a task that was simply beyond them, God
spoke words of comfort!
6. The comfort He gave through Isaiah was not some cute little ditty that would
get in their heads and haunt them - "Don't worry. Be happy."
7. It was a comfort based on God's revelation of Himself to them.
C. God's Revelation
1. Chapters 40-47 are some of the most important chapters in the Bible for what
they tell us about God.
2. In fact, no other passage of scripture is more concentrated in terms of it's
revelation of God
3. The application of this revelation is comfort for God's people
4. The comfort He gives is based on who and what He is!
5. When they are feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of rebuilding their
homes, they are to cast themselves on Him and discover new strength, new
inspiration, new vision and encouragement to press on and complete the work
6. The promise God makes here to the returning exiles is a promise that applies to
God's people in every age - whatever the task or challenge they face.
D. Self Or God
1. Left to ourselves, trouble will at times gang up on us
2. This world will wear us down
3. Trials will badger and harass us. We will weary and sometimes faint.
4. But as we learn to cease from our own self-sufficient labor and striving,
a. as we repent of self-reliance
b. and instead cast ourselves in complete dependence on God
c. we will discover new strength
d. and we will rise above our problems
e. we will overcome the trial and hurdle the obstacles
III. CONCLUSION
A. Wrestling
1. Is God wrestling with you?
2. Has he brought you to some place and now you are exhausted, spent?
3. Let go, surrender, give up and admit your weakness
4. Cast yourself completely on God and trust not at all in yourself
5. Look at the promise . . .
31 But those who wait on 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.
6. Strength comes by waiting on God
7. And we wait on God by fleeing from self and running to Him
8. To wait on the Lord means to trust him, to rely on His strength and not our
own.
9. The one who is waiting on God is the one who has ceased from striving and
trying to make it work by their own wits
a. they have come to God and confessed their utter dependence on Him
b. they have stopped looking for some other way out and are focused on Him
alone
10. Have you ever seen a dog who is looking at someone who's holding out a
snack?
a. that dog's attention is riveted on the snack
b. they cannot be distracted from just waiting on the one who is holding it out
to them
c. that's a picture of what it means to wait on God
C. Mary Or Martha
1. Just as some of us tend to be Marthas,
2. Others tend to be like one-side Marys
3. Some of us have sat at Jesus's feet, but then He moved on and we just sat there
4. We never rise like eagle, we never run or even walk.
5. God gives us strength so we can walk with Him and run the race of faith in this
world
6. He wants us to learn to sail above the petty and vain things of this world
7. He wants us to live full, rich productive lives - not just in terms of physical
possessions, but in service, in ministry