You know what verse I'm talking about already. It's one of the favorite encouragement verses. We engrave it in our Bibles, make posters of it, and I even saw someone with a tattoo...
And while that is all well and good, I just wonder if we've ever stopped to think about the WHOLE verse. Isaiah 40:31 reads "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."
The way I saw this verse changed in Bible college after hearing a great chapel message about it. And I hope that you will see it differently too. The man (whose name I have forgotten!!) pointed out that the three parts of this verse could be linked to three events in Israel's history:
These are miracles. Perhaps healing from physical sickness. Solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems. These aren't everyday things. God intervenes where only God could intervene. Salvation in general is like this - God saves us when we are completely unable to save ourselves.
I recently had one of these "Eagle's Wings Interventions" happen to me. I'm not going to go into detail here, but let's just say God brought healing to an area of my life that had been a problem for 14 years. And it has been amazing. The grace and freedom I have experienced as a result is truly breath-taking. It's like soaring.
These may not happen to everyone, and they may not happen often. But when God delivers, it is exhilarating.
Running But Not Wearying
Sometimes God empowers us to do things we think we could not do. Share the gospel. Love others. Overcome some fear. And they are no less amazing. And they are more common. It works by God's empowering us to accomplish what he would have us do. Look at the book of Acts. Peter's preaching, the Church's boldness, and countless other examples. These were all God working his power through his people to accomplish his purpose.
Walking But Not Fainting
These are common to everyone. The death of a loved one. Terminal illness. Depression. Or just everyday struggles with our own sinfulness. These are the times when we feel abandoned, alone, or just forgotten.
This is probably common to daily life. Everyday problems and disappointments and failures, and we think we might never make it through. In fact, most of life is lived in the strength of "Walking but not fainting." But there is strength there nonetheless. Even when we think we can go one more step, we find the strength to take it anyway.
The Key: Trusting in the Lord
The key to accessing any type of this strength lies in where we have put our trust. If we trust in man or man's ways, then we will not see any of these types of God's intervention. But if our hope is in God, then he will come through. He may not do it in the way that we like, but he will bring us through.
So when you set out to encourage others or even encourage yourself, look for how God might be bringing others or you through. Maybe he'll give you an eagle's wings deliverance, maybe he'll help you take the next step and not fall apart. But look for and hope in him. He will deliver you.
And while that is all well and good, I just wonder if we've ever stopped to think about the WHOLE verse. Isaiah 40:31 reads "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."
The way I saw this verse changed in Bible college after hearing a great chapel message about it. And I hope that you will see it differently too. The man (whose name I have forgotten!!) pointed out that the three parts of this verse could be linked to three events in Israel's history:
- "Wings like eagles" - God delivering Israel from the land of Egypt (cf. Exodus 19:4)
- "Run and not be weary" - possibly a reference to Elijah outrunning Ahab's horses (1 Kings 18:41-46)
- "Walk and not faint" - perhaps a prophecy of the coming exile, where Judah would be taken captive by Babylon (2 Kings 25)
These are miracles. Perhaps healing from physical sickness. Solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems. These aren't everyday things. God intervenes where only God could intervene. Salvation in general is like this - God saves us when we are completely unable to save ourselves.
I recently had one of these "Eagle's Wings Interventions" happen to me. I'm not going to go into detail here, but let's just say God brought healing to an area of my life that had been a problem for 14 years. And it has been amazing. The grace and freedom I have experienced as a result is truly breath-taking. It's like soaring.
These may not happen to everyone, and they may not happen often. But when God delivers, it is exhilarating.
Running But Not Wearying
Sometimes God empowers us to do things we think we could not do. Share the gospel. Love others. Overcome some fear. And they are no less amazing. And they are more common. It works by God's empowering us to accomplish what he would have us do. Look at the book of Acts. Peter's preaching, the Church's boldness, and countless other examples. These were all God working his power through his people to accomplish his purpose.
Walking But Not Fainting
These are common to everyone. The death of a loved one. Terminal illness. Depression. Or just everyday struggles with our own sinfulness. These are the times when we feel abandoned, alone, or just forgotten.
This is probably common to daily life. Everyday problems and disappointments and failures, and we think we might never make it through. In fact, most of life is lived in the strength of "Walking but not fainting." But there is strength there nonetheless. Even when we think we can go one more step, we find the strength to take it anyway.
The Key: Trusting in the Lord
The key to accessing any type of this strength lies in where we have put our trust. If we trust in man or man's ways, then we will not see any of these types of God's intervention. But if our hope is in God, then he will come through. He may not do it in the way that we like, but he will bring us through.
So when you set out to encourage others or even encourage yourself, look for how God might be bringing others or you through. Maybe he'll give you an eagle's wings deliverance, maybe he'll help you take the next step and not fall apart. But look for and hope in him. He will deliver you.
How have you seen God at work in your own life? What have you learned from God's different means of delivering you through the hard times?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment