He Renews Our Strength

He Renews Our Strength
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."

Psalm 36.7
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."

These days we all grow weary. Our world moves at an incredibly demanding and sometimes over-bearing rate. Many of us feel enslaved to time. There is never enough time or resources to get things done. During these times we lose our strength. Not simply our physical strength, but our mental and spiritual strength as well. As our physical bodies buckle under the pressure of overworking, our minds become discouraged, and our spirits are weakened. We become discouraged, disheartened, bitter, and overwhelmed.

Is this really how God wants us to live our lives? Not at all. The Lord says that we are to be strong in Him. In Isaiah 40.31 he tells us that those "who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." God renews us, not wears us down. Therefore, it is essential that we examine our activities. Are we overwhelmed? It is not from the Lord. If we are consecutively overwhelmed and weakened, it is time to let the Lord take precedence in our life.

How do we allow the Lord to strengthen us? The Psalmist says that "both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of [the LORD's] wings." Isaiah, too, uses alludes to the imagery of fowl when he says that "those who hope in the LORD...will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Notice the two qualities we must apply in order to not grow weary and to renew our strength: we must "hope in the LORD" and we must "find refuge in the shadow of [His] wings." These are both acts of submission. They do not require more work, which is convenient since we already feel overwhelmed.

Hoping in the Lord means that we give all our worries and struggles to Him in prayer and in our actions. When we are overwhelmed, we ought to tell the Lord and ask for His strength. You will be surprised how He responds. He may even ask you to give up some things that may be causing you to grow weary. Perhaps you are taking on too many activities or, though this may sound shocking, you are involved too deeply in too many ministries. Remember that God puts others in our lives to help us. We must not allow ourselves to become overworked. When we do, we will begin to feel bitter. We will say to ourselves, "Why is no one helping me? Don't they know how much I do for them?" But be careful, beloved. This attitude indicates that perhaps our service is more for us or for a reputation than for the Lord. We need to pray and ask God to adjust our attitude whenever such thoughts arise.

Are you putting your hope in the Lord today? Are you allowing Him to renew your strength? If not, come and rest in the shadow of His wings. Find refuge in Him, and you will "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint." The Lord is our refuge and strength--are we trusting in Him to provide for us? Amen.

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich