Devotion: Isaiah 40:29

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

In today’s verse, the prophet Isaiah assures weary and powerless Israelites that God has their back. Or rather, he assures them God would provide for all of their needs, including strength and power. If you have ever been in a position where life seems to be hitting you hard and beating you up, you know just how discouraging it can be and how spiritually and physically exhausted you become. Having strength to endure and the power to overcome don’t come to us naturally, but with God we don’t have to worry about that because HE provides that for us. In our weakness, He is strong.

Up to this point, the book of Isaiah had focused on the coming judgement that people of Israel were going to face if they did not repent and change their ways. But then you come to chapter 40 and the tone of the book shifts from judgement and the prophesied doom to a message of hope and encouragement. God knew His people were feeling the despair and the loss of hope and out of His love and grace, He offered consolation, hope, and encouragement to carry them through.

God doesn’t grow weary or weak. He is God. He is infinite, amazing, and all powerful. He is the source of everything – of life, of hope, of grace, of strength and power. He is the Creator. He gives and He takes. He took them away from all they knew, all they had ever known, and exiled them as punishment for their rebellion.

But He didn’t do it without a plan for renewal and redemption. And He did not hide that face from His people. We have today’s verse as a prime example of His grace in our lives. His glory doesn’t just manifest itself in His power, but it also shows in His eagerness to share that with those He calls His. He shares His power, His strength, and His grace with His creation, infusing us with what we need to make it through the day, the hour, through minute by minute.

And that power is available to you. You, too, can feel the grace He gives as He fills you with His supernatural strength and lends you His power. It is the same response that He asked for from the Israelites during their exile. Repent and turn to Him. Stop living a life of rebellion. Stop letting your heart be hardened and instead let it be turned to flesh (see yesterday’s devotion for more on that if you missed it). And start living your life for Him, feeling His power and strength within you.

Prayer: Lord, When I am weak, You are my strength. When I am weary, You give me the power to go on. Thank You for loving me and sharing Your grace when I am so undeserving. Amen 

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