Isaiah 40:31 …but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Today we take a look at a verse that many know and love. It takes us into the book of Isaiah where we find a message of hope that was written to the Israelites who had been exiled to Babylon. These people felt like all hope was lost, having been captives in a foreign land for decades. And it is in this context that Isaiah’s message of hope is given.
Maybe you find yourself in a dark and lonely place devoid of hope. But it is never as bad as you think it may be, especially when your hope is placed in the Lord. Isaiah reassured the people that if they placed their trust in God, that He would help them endure and even overcome.
In Hebrew, the word qavah is translated as hope or waiting on the Lord. It indicates exercising active, hopeful expectation, endurance, and trust in God’s timing, rather than being passively idle. It is that hope, that act of waiting on the Lord that we need today when facing times of struggle or darkness. In that moment of faith, we are able to renew our strength, too, just as Isaiah’s message indicated to the Israelites.
Eagles are majestic creatures who soar through the air and float on air currents. Why did Isaiah choose eagles to describe the trust we should have in the Lord? Eagles soar by riding rising air currents, which allows them to fly for hours with minimal wing flapping. Their specialized wing feathers separate like slotted wingtips to create maximum lift and reduce drag, helping them conserve energy to hunt and travel.
Like the eagles, we, too, can soar. We can find renewal. We can have endurance while waiting on Him, running but not growing weary. We can walk through whatever challenges life gives us without growing faint.
That is the hope we can have in God to help us get through things that seem impossible to bear, things that are dragging us down and discouraging us. We can be like the eagle soaring. We, too, can have our strength renewed. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, near to the weary. And in many cases, the Lord carries us when we cannot place a foot in front of the other.
Today let’s turn to God instead of letting circumstances dictate our faith or becoming discouraged. Turn to Him and trust that like the eagle soaring, He will be with us and lift us higher. Soar, friends, and trust in Him to be the updrafts of air that lift you higher.
Prayer: Lord, Be the wind that lifts me higher on wings like the eagle. Let me turn to you and find renewal instead of focusing on the struggles of life. Amen
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