Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [158] Renewed Strength

 

 Moments of Weakness

Our memory verse for today recognises that the Lord's people can experience moments - or even seasons - of great weakness. 

The mighty fearless Elijah, after battling the prophets of Baal, experienced a moment of such bipolar cowardice that he ran away from Jezebel and wished himself dead. 

The saintly David, in a moment - or was it a season? - of laziness, did not lead his armies out to war, as all kings did, and in that lazy hour was tempted and fell.

Courageous Peter denied the Lord, and so the list goes on, all the way down to our times and to our frail lives.

 No Silver Bullet

We're not saying there is one silver bullet to solve the malaise of spiritual weakness, for the reasons we wobble are as many as the people who flounder. But our memory verse today holds out a precious promise to all the weak:

"Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:30)

This promise comes right after the words, "even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall." The last group of folk we'd expect to grow weary are young people. Having watched four sons grow up I am continually astounded by their stamina and strength. But the youth are not invincible and even they grow tired and weary.

However, all who "wait" or "hope" on the Lord are promised a renewal of their strength leading to this amazing description of their renewed power:

"They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

What does it mean to "wait" or "hope" in the Lord?

Some translations say "hope" and some say "wait." The key to renewed strength is waiting or hoping in the Lord.

But what does that mean?

The Hebrew word translated either "wait" or "hope" originally seems to have been a term applied to ropes which were in tension, being stretched or twisted. Applying the word metaphorically would mean that the Lord wants weak people to keep going, even though they feel like a stretched, twisted or tensed rope. 

The opposite would be for the rope to break, for us to give up.

But this keeping on being stretched is "in the Lord." In other words, in the strength the Lord supplies.

Summing it Up

This verse yields  a surprising antidote to weariness and weakness. Stretched ropes may see their salvation in backing away from the tension that is causing them to break. But Isaiah says that the way to strength is for the weak rope to put up with the tension but now rely on the Lord's mighty power, for he "gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Weak people are not called upon to give up on that which is causing the weakness; a difficult family situation, a work problem, a marriage issue or whatever. Instead they are to ask the Lord for his supernatural power and strength. That's what waiting and hoping in the Lord is about. We are weak, but he is strong. And we can tap into that infinite strength in times or seasons of weakness. 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

I need thee every hour,
most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine
can peace afford.

I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to thee.

I need thee every hour,
stay thou near by;
temptations lose their power
when thou art nigh.

I need thee every hour,
in joy or pain;
come quickly, and abide,
or life is vain. 

I need thee every hour;
teach me thy will,
and thy rich promises
in me fulfill. 

You can worship HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our all-powerful Father in heaven,

We worship you, the God who created the heavens and the earth, and by whose almighty power the universe is sustained moment by moment. Surely there is no-one like you.

We are weak and frail children of dust! But we thank you that you give your power to the weak.

Help us not to give up on whatever or whoever is the cause of our present weakness, help us to persevere. But help us we pray, to rely on your mighty power to help and strengthen us and to enable us soar on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not be faint.

We ask these things so that our lives may glorify your Name,

Amen

 Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash