“Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Each time I look on the wall above my desk, I can read
the words of this verse. The verse and
an Eagle were painted on a four foot long section of whale baleen, and has a
very special place in my heart. You see, it was presented to me by an Inuit family
that made a decision to follow Christ when I pastored a church in Alaska back
in 2002.
We had started a basketball camp each summer with almost
60 kids attending each year. For several
weeks leading up to the camp we begin our preparations with prayer and working hard
to get everything ready for the arrival of these kids. The camp last three days and we provided rooms
and meals. Our second year, two young
boys from Barrow, up on the Arctic Ocean, prayed to receive Jesus. They then asked us to pray for their parents
who, sadly, had a drinking problem. On
the last day of the camp, the coaches made a gospel presentation and both
parents also made a decision for Christ.
With gratitude in their hearts for showing them the love
of Christ, they presented the two coaches and myself with the gift of the whale
baleen. Each time I glance up to Isaiah
40:31 on the wall, I remember their labor of love and appreciation. At the end of Camp we would be exhausted. But it means so much to know that because we were
willing to be the hands and feet of Christ to these people, we will one day
stand together with them in heaven; praising and worshiping the one true and
glorious God.
If you Google the word “exhausted,” you’ll get a
definition that says, “Drained of one’s physical or mental resources; very
tired.” Does that word describe you
right now? Our bodies can be so
physically drained that they refuse to get up in the mornings, to lift the
heavy objects, or even to get where you need to go. Our mind can get so stressed and drained that
it’s hard to care about anything, even a relationship. Exhausted is a dangerous state of being that
we need to avoid.
This amazing verse reminds us of one of God's most
precious promises, “…those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength.” We get
into trouble when we attempt to develop our own strength instead of waiting for
Him. It is significant to read in God's
Word that anytime people run ahead of God and rely upon their own strength,
they get into trouble. On the other
hand, when people inquire of the Lord and wait for Him to lead, they are
rewarded with His power.
God asks us to sometimes do things that are beyond our
ability so that we will trust Him. He’s
interested more in your obedience and willingness than in your strength and
intellect. He doesn’t need you in order
to accomplish anything, yet He chooses to partner with you to enact His will. If you’re willing to step out in faith and to
trust Him, He’s willing to give you the ability and strength you lack.
You can be exhausted from doing all your other duties and
still have the strength to do what God wants as long as you put your trust in
Him.
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you
to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace
with God.
