sleeplessinpool
June 30th 2003, 06:50 AM
Renewed Strength.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Its going to take a brave Christian to answer this one, but do you ever feel dreadfully spiritually tired and get to wondering if you will be able to carry on? They say misery likes to have company, but try not to be despondent about it but many a Christian has felt like this. Life can sometimes become terribly monotonous and burdensome; even Christian life/work at times can become a wearisome task. Many a Christian worker myself included have been left with tears of frustration and weeping in disappointment after many years of faithful service has not yielded the eagerly awaited harvest.
Many a Christian minister over the past 2000 years have cried out from pure frustration even Paul exclaimed in frustration in his letter to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6) But something that Paul rapidly realized was that the God who had called Him to live and work for Him also provided the means to enable him to work things through, and of course this is something we need to remember. Something Paul spoke of this in 2nd Corinthians 3:5 when he said “Our sufficiency is of God”; He who commands us also sustains us.
In relationship to the passage we are highlighting we have much to learn from the eagle. This wonderful majestic, although seen as a symbol of strength but this is not always so. During part of the cycle of seasons the eagle starts to molt and during this time it will of sit there, a solitary figure unable to rise to the great heights it’s accustomed to. During that time, whilst it is unable to fly to the sun it will sun it will still bask in its rays until its energy returns and it as able to soar again.
In the same the, the children of God who “that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles”. We can become endued with the power of God to rise above things. When you think about it, in these days of so called “self sufficiency” this is something we call could do with a little of, so that we shall have a correct understanding of life and the purpose of God. Truly loftiness can give better comprehension and understanding. To see things as we should be seeing him means we sometimes need to get away from them. A trial when looked at from below or within might look incredibly large, complex and important, but when we look at it from above it may appear to be just a small thing compared to the overall scheme of things.
Can it not be said that it is wonderful that you and I as children of God can have these “higher experiences”. We have the potential to endure a great deal more that is disagreeable and distressing if from time to time we have periods of spiritual uplift when we are able to be renewed in mind and body and by the “sun of righteousness”.
We now need to turn to the second part of our promise, which is a promise in its own right. “They shall run, and not be weary”. Spurgeon once commented, “scores of timed believers creep towards heaven as the snail crept towards the Ark”. Of course this is not so with if we have a spirit that trusts. When you have one of these your like the marathon runner, not diminishing in strength but rather quickening in pace. He is a runner who is in the race with the will to win the prise!
And what about the walking? Whereas the heights are for the times of spiritual refreshment and the running depicts the urgency of Christian mission, walking is a picture of that plodding, diligent, persistent child of God. He or she will be given the grace needed for the day to day tasks, he will “not faint” is the emphatic promise and perhaps the most reassuring of them all.
It is important that we all keep in mind the fulfillment of this promise is dependent upon our obedience to that little word “wait”. For us it should mean that we are looking to God and God alone for tat sense of inner renewal; to be calm and patient before him and at the same time to be “EXPECTING” him to make good what he has decreed. The Psalmist had this thought in mind when he said, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord. “(Psalm 27:14)
We face the potential of missing much when we are always on the go. Activity alone really does little towards advancing the Kingdom of God, indeed we can go as far as saying it has the great potential to lead us only into frustration and sometimes even defeat. All the time we need to be plugged into Gods endless supply of spiritual energy if we are going to be effective Christian workers. Let us then develop this holy habit of waiting on God and remember this is not so much a transient action as a permanent attitude.
Thanks for listening folks……….don’t forget you can find more on www.biblicalthoughts.org.uk Bless you all….SH
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Its going to take a brave Christian to answer this one, but do you ever feel dreadfully spiritually tired and get to wondering if you will be able to carry on? They say misery likes to have company, but try not to be despondent about it but many a Christian has felt like this. Life can sometimes become terribly monotonous and burdensome; even Christian life/work at times can become a wearisome task. Many a Christian worker myself included have been left with tears of frustration and weeping in disappointment after many years of faithful service has not yielded the eagerly awaited harvest.
Many a Christian minister over the past 2000 years have cried out from pure frustration even Paul exclaimed in frustration in his letter to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6) But something that Paul rapidly realized was that the God who had called Him to live and work for Him also provided the means to enable him to work things through, and of course this is something we need to remember. Something Paul spoke of this in 2nd Corinthians 3:5 when he said “Our sufficiency is of God”; He who commands us also sustains us.
In relationship to the passage we are highlighting we have much to learn from the eagle. This wonderful majestic, although seen as a symbol of strength but this is not always so. During part of the cycle of seasons the eagle starts to molt and during this time it will of sit there, a solitary figure unable to rise to the great heights it’s accustomed to. During that time, whilst it is unable to fly to the sun it will sun it will still bask in its rays until its energy returns and it as able to soar again.
In the same the, the children of God who “that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles”. We can become endued with the power of God to rise above things. When you think about it, in these days of so called “self sufficiency” this is something we call could do with a little of, so that we shall have a correct understanding of life and the purpose of God. Truly loftiness can give better comprehension and understanding. To see things as we should be seeing him means we sometimes need to get away from them. A trial when looked at from below or within might look incredibly large, complex and important, but when we look at it from above it may appear to be just a small thing compared to the overall scheme of things.
Can it not be said that it is wonderful that you and I as children of God can have these “higher experiences”. We have the potential to endure a great deal more that is disagreeable and distressing if from time to time we have periods of spiritual uplift when we are able to be renewed in mind and body and by the “sun of righteousness”.
We now need to turn to the second part of our promise, which is a promise in its own right. “They shall run, and not be weary”. Spurgeon once commented, “scores of timed believers creep towards heaven as the snail crept towards the Ark”. Of course this is not so with if we have a spirit that trusts. When you have one of these your like the marathon runner, not diminishing in strength but rather quickening in pace. He is a runner who is in the race with the will to win the prise!
And what about the walking? Whereas the heights are for the times of spiritual refreshment and the running depicts the urgency of Christian mission, walking is a picture of that plodding, diligent, persistent child of God. He or she will be given the grace needed for the day to day tasks, he will “not faint” is the emphatic promise and perhaps the most reassuring of them all.
It is important that we all keep in mind the fulfillment of this promise is dependent upon our obedience to that little word “wait”. For us it should mean that we are looking to God and God alone for tat sense of inner renewal; to be calm and patient before him and at the same time to be “EXPECTING” him to make good what he has decreed. The Psalmist had this thought in mind when he said, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord. “(Psalm 27:14)
We face the potential of missing much when we are always on the go. Activity alone really does little towards advancing the Kingdom of God, indeed we can go as far as saying it has the great potential to lead us only into frustration and sometimes even defeat. All the time we need to be plugged into Gods endless supply of spiritual energy if we are going to be effective Christian workers. Let us then develop this holy habit of waiting on God and remember this is not so much a transient action as a permanent attitude.
Thanks for listening folks……….don’t forget you can find more on www.biblicalthoughts.org.uk Bless you all….SH