Strength to Keep Going

Transcript

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Welcome back to Beyond Sunday and day 24 of our series anchored in God's promises. We've been walking through verse after verse reminding ourselves that God's word holds steady no matter what comes our way. Today we come to the one of the most beloved promises in scripture, Isaiah 40 31. It's a verse that is carried countless believers through seasons of exhaustion and discouragement. I heard it first probably when I was eight or nine years old. And I remember this first. I had a t-shirt with a verse on it. This became a huge verse in different seasons of my life. Let me read it for you. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will sore on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Now, lemme give you a little context. This was a tired group of people. Isaiah spoke these words to people who were weary. Israel had experienced judgment. Exile and loss, they were asking the same questions. You and I sometimes ask God, have you forgotten me? Do you see how tired I am? And in response, God doesn't just say, try harder or push through. He offers them a promise. If you place your hope in me, I will give you strength You cannot produce on your own. So what does it mean to hope in the Lord? This isn't wishful thinking like, I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. Biblical hope is confidence, trust, expectation in God's character. To hope in the Lord means we shift the weight of our dependence from ourselves. To him it's saying, God, I can't carry this, but I believe you can. And when we do that, something supernatural happens. Our strength is renewed. Now, notice how the verse gives us three pictures. Soaring on wings like eagles. That's the mountaintop season, right? When you feel lifted high above the chaos of life. Eagles don't flap frantically. They soar with ease carried by the wind. God gives us moments like that where his presence lifts us and carries us further than we could go on our own. Running and not growing. Weary is the second imagery it gives us. That's the season of endurance. Maybe it's parenting young kids pushing through a work deadline or serving faithfully in ministry. You don't always feel like you're soaring, but you're running with perseverance and God keeps your legs moving. Now, the third imagery it gave us was walking and not fainting. Sometimes life isn't about soaring or sprinting. It's about putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe today you're not flying or running, you're just walking, but even there, God promises you won't collapse. This shows us God's strength isn't just for the highs, it's for the ordinary days and the heavy days too. Have you ever watched an eagle in flight? They don't waste energy flapping their wings nonstop. Instead, they wait for the wind currents to lift them higher. That's a picture of what it means to hope in the Lord. We don't have to exhaust ourselves by constant striving. Instead, we position ourselves to be lifted by the spirit of God. His presence becomes the current that carries us. The strength comes not from our frantic effort, but from resting in his power. Think about where you are right now. Maybe you're in a soaring season celebrating God's goodness, thank him for lifting you. Maybe you're running hard, busy, stretched and tired. Ask him for endurance. Or maybe you're just walking, hanging on by a thread, knowing that his promise is still for you. You will not faint wherever you are. This verse is an invitation. Stop relying on your strength and place your hope fully in his. Here's your challenge today. Okay. Write down one area where you feel weak, weary, or worn down. Then write next to it. Write these words, but my hope is in the Lord. He will renew my strength. Carry that with you through the day. Every time you feel the weight pressing in, remind yourself. Strength is not about what I can produce. It's about what God provides. Let's pray together. Lord. Thank you. That your strength never runs dry. Thank you. That when we are weary, you lift us up. You help us endure, and you carry us one step at a time. Teach us to place our hope in you instead of ourselves. Renew our strength today. In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, that's it for day 24 of Anchor to God's Promises. If this verse encouraged you, send this verse to someone that's running on empty today, that this be a reminder that God is Rene ready to renew their strength as well. I'll see you back tomorrow.