“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 KJV)
If you have been homesteading or you have been considering it then you likely know that it isn’t easy. There are tough days when it’s hard to not give up. Days where you wonder what you are going to do next. If you are like us, then you made the decision to move toward a more self-sufficient life because you prayed about it and were led to do so. That doesn’t mean that you don’t still have those moments. What it does mean is that you can lean on the promise of Isaiah 40:31, but maybe for you it is a cliche.
Finding the meaning.
You’ve likely seen this verse before. It is the subject of many posters, signs, brochures, and more. Cliche verses often lose their meanings from over exposure to them. Have you ever repeated a word over and over in your head or out loud until it just sounds like a made up noise to your mind? In a similar way bible verses that are popular and oft repeated can have the same effect. We can read them and move right on without even processing what the verse says to us as believers. To help us regain the value and meaning of this verse we will take a little more in depth look at the verse and how it applies to us.
Strength is the theme.
You may be a truly strong person. I consider myself one of those people. I can take just about anything you toss and me and keep going. I may not have a great attitude. I may get mad. I don’t stop though. I will fight through, uphill, being flogged the whole way. That is not really always the best way. In fact, this verse tells us there is a better way. But wait, what if you aren’t one of those people? What if in fact you are at a point where you feel too weak to carry on? What if you feel to tired to shoulder your burden? The great thing about this verse is that it applies to all of us. God will give us the strength.
The key to understanding the promises of this verse.
Patience. That’s the key. The very first thing this verse tells us is, “But those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;” (emphasis mine). Notice that word “wait”? Throughout God’s word there is a theme that God’s timing is not ours. Remember when God promised Abraham and Sarah a child? Abraham had a promise from God, but he grew impatient waiting on God’s timing and the result was a lot of pain and suffering for many involved and the results of his impatience altered history. The ripples of his decision still reverberate today in the form of fighting between the factions of his off spring. If we wait, God will give us direction when the time to move is at hand and with that direction will come the strength to move. God will not tell us to move a mountain without giving us the strength to do so. The rest of the verse is in fact that very promise. Waiting on God means we will mount up with the wings of eagles; we will run and not grow weary; we will walk and not grow faint. If you are weary today, stop, pray, and wait for God to move. You will find that the strength you receive is exactly the measure you need to move forward. Have a great day and God bless.
