Based on a series of sermons preached in PCC Prayer Meetings in 2020
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint
Isaiah 40:29-31
Isaiah 40 is one of the most comforting chapters in the whole Bible. Isaiah originally preached it during a time of much uncertainty and anxiety amongst God’s people. The northern Kingdom had recently been devastated by the Assyrians. Many were killed; those who were not were mostly rounded up and sent into exile.
The people in the south were not spared, for after his successful campaign in the north, Sennacherib headed south and laid siege to Jerusalem.
Were it not for the LORD’s miraculous intervention, Jerusalem would also have toppled. But this victory did not guarantee peace, for no one knew whether the Assyrians would return. At the same time, the rumblings of an even more powerful empire could already be heard. They even sent envoys to spy out Jerusalem. It would be another sixty years or so before the Babylonians’ war machinery arrives. But the people couldn’t know how much longer they would enjoy peace.
It is in this context that God gave Isaiah a prophecy of comfort to preach to His people. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God,” he begins (Isa 40:1). Then He goes on to show how the LORD himself would visit His people in the flesh to be their Shepherd. He is sovereign and omnipotent, perfect in knowledge and understanding, infinitely great, incomparable and unportrayable. And He cares!
But now, as he wraps up his sermon of comfort, Isaiah pronounces some of the most assuring and comforting words to be found anywhere in the Scriptures. He says three things corresponding to the three verses: (1) The LORD strengthens those who are weak and weary; (2) Even young people can grow weak and weary; and (3) Those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength.
1. He Strengthens Those Who Are Weak & Weary
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength
v. 29
They say, “God helps those who help themselves.” Those who use this cliché may do so to motivate those who are tempted to lethargy, passivity, or surrender in pressing situations. But it is simply not true that God helps those who help themselves. What is true is that God helps those who cannot help themselves. More to the point, God helps those who cannot help themselves and, recognising their own helplessness, cry out to Him sincerely for help.
To these saints who feel weak or faint, He gives the power or ability they need. To them who feel feeble, He increases strength.
Those who put their trust in the Lord should never entertain the idea that the Lord does not know or does not care about their perilous situation. He is always ready to help His weak and feeble people.
Do you feel keenly your weakness and helplessness in any situation? Rest assured: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Remember the words of the Lord Jesus to the apostle Paul when he pleaded for the removal of his thorn in the flesh: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
But perhaps you do not feel weak or weary, but full of vigour and enthusiasm. So, you may wonder what the big fuss is about God giving strength to the weak and weary. I don’t need to be strengthened, you may think.
What does Isaiah have to say about that?
He tells us in verse 30 that…
2. Even Young People Can Grow Weak & Weary
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall
v. 30
Isaiah may be simply seeking to contrast the LORD with young persons. Even young persons grow faint and weary; even young men shall utterly fall. But God never faints, never grows weary, never falls.
But the fact remains that no one, even young, energetic and strong persons, does not need to be strengthened at one time or another. Suppose you think that you have no need at all, and that you are strong enough by yourself, or that God and religion are only a crutch for weaklings. If so, you can be sure that you are either deluded, overconfident, stubborn or simply too inexperienced.
Even Samson, the man of great strength, felt weary at times. After he slew a thousand with a jawbone, did he not complain that he was dying of thirst (Jdg 15:18)? Even the mightiest men, not to mention youths and young men, shall faint and be weary.
The young man who has just completed an ultramarathon may think himself to be at the top of the world. But let him receive a message from his girlfriend that she is leaving him for a gentler, kinder soul. And see him crumble into a heap of weakness.
The young professional has been advancing steadily in his career, making the right choices and being promoted at every opportunity. Everything is going well for him. He feels invincible. But let him be struck down with an incurable disease, and suddenly the world begins to crumble around him.
The man who hates Christ and religion, and scoffs at God’s people may build a business empire and think himself to be unassailable. Like the foolish rich man, he feels that His strength and ability have brought him to where he is. But death strikes him, and suddenly he finds himself having no answer but only cringing fear as he stands before the judgment seat of Christ.
The fact remains that no one in this world, however young, wealthy, powerful, well-connected or confident, will never faint or grow weary and weak. The sooner you recognise this fact, the more likely you will find the real help that you need.
Remember, you will not find help from the Lord unless you confess your own weakness and need. But if you do, then God’s promise is extended to you.
3. Those Who Wait upon the LORD Will Renew Their Strength
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint
v. 31
God understands our limitations. So He promises to strengthen us when we wait upon Him.
Note that He is not promising to give us enough physical strength to fly like eagles! No, no; He is not speaking about physical strength. He is not promising to give us enough strength to run a marathon, at least, not literally.
Yes, God is undoubtedly concerned about our physical health and strength. And He promises to heal us. But He never promises to heal us completely in this life.
He may, if He chooses, heal someone miraculously, but He does not promise to do so in this life. He promises to heal us and to restore our physical strength entirely only at the resurrection!
What then is our text about? No doubt, it is about spiritual strength.
We can grow faint and weary in our souls. Just as we can become physically tired, we can also become spiritually tired. Just as we can feel weak bodily, we can feel powerless spiritually. Just as our physical appetite can wax and wane, so our spiritual appetite can fluctuate. Just as we can be sick in our bodies, we can be sick in our souls.
Indeed, we arrive in this world spiritually dead. We were spiritually resurrected at our regeneration. But even then, it pleases God that our restoration should not be complete as yet. Even the most devout Christian may become lukewarm. Even the strongest believer may doubt. Even the most sanctified saint may backslide.
We can even become faint and weary of doing good. That is why Paul exhorts us repeatedly not to be weary in well doing (Gal 6:9; 2 Th 3:13). But when that happens, go to the Lord. Hope in Him! Wait upon Him! He has promised to heal. He has promised to strengthen. You can soar like an eagle!
What a tremendous promise! I need not saunter like a turtle. I need not flap frantically like a sparrow. I can soar.
Ever seen an eagle taking off? It is a magnificent sight. An eagle is a big bird. It does not fly like sparrows. To take off and gain height, it will spread its wings, flap several times, and then circle until it catches an updraft of air. Once that happens, it begins to soar. Occasionally, it will flap its wings, but most of the time, it will just glide along. This is what Isaiah is promising us. We can soar like eagles! Not physically, of course, but spiritually!
Many times, because of my sin of forgetfulness, I do not soar. Instead, I saunter like a turtle, or I paddle frantically like a duck as I try to look cool on the surface. But yes, beloved, we can soar. We can mount up on wings and soar like the eagles. But how? Isaiah answers: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles” (v. 31).
What is it to wait upon the Lord? Well, it certainly does not mean waiting passively on one hand, or impatiently on the other. No, no; the very idea of waiting implies patience and not being tempted to do things our own way. We are to hope according to the hope that is given in the word of God. The Psalmist says, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” (Ps 130:5). To wait upon the Lord involves walking by faith.
To wait upon the Lord, moreover, implies prayer. The Psalmist confesses: “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Ps 40:1). One who is not praying is not waiting.
To wait upon the Lord is, in other words, to believe the LORD. It is to trust that He will do what is best for you according to his goodness and wisdom. It is to look to Christ and to trust Him to do what is right rather than to be troubled by the wind and the waves around us. Those who wait upon the Lord will draw strength from Him. They will have strength sufficient to mount up with wings as eagles and soar to new heights of spiritual enjoyment. They will not need to continue to saunter like a turtle on land, or flap frantically like a chicken to stay in flight.
“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength,” says Isaiah. Let us humble ourselves, acknowledge our weakness and pray that we may be strengthened in the inner man that Christ may be magnified in us. Amen.
—JJ Lim