"New Strength" - Isaiah 40:30-31

Isaiah 40:28–31

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.

30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,

31 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.

Our fighter verses for this week are  vs 30-31 but, to fully understand what’s being said here, we have to look at last week’s verses as well. Hence, I’ve added vs 28-29.

The culture Isaiah was addressing was filled with people who worshipped other gods. The prevailing attitude toward pagan gods was that they were powerful but not omnipotent as the one true God is. Nor were they omniscient, knowing all. Pagan writings and fables are rife with gods getting weary, bored, physically exhausted or weak, sometimes caught by surprise and frequently unable to defend themselves or the people who follow them.

In proclaiming the only true God, Isaiah not only says He never becomes weary, but that He also has understanding that is inscrutable. In other words, His knowledge is inexhaustible as well.

The promise of vs 31 is that those who are His will receive a portion His strength and knowledge. Even though the human condition is limited in what it can do and think (Is 40:30), those who wait, who place their hope in the Lord, will find new strength (Is 40:31).

Later in Scripture, we find that we, as believers,  are being molded into His image (Rom 8:29). As we are being transformed into something more like Him, forsaking the gods of this world, we get our strength and wisdom from the One whose power and knowledge have no limits. 

This is an encouragement and a promise that we, if we can learn to rely on His power and wisdom instead of our own, will be able to navigate the issues in life that can tax our strength and our knowledge. Praise God! He's given us the Holy Spirit as a comforter and convicter to lead us through these situations and into His peace and rest.