It's Time to Fly! - July 8th, 2011

He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.  

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall, 
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31

History and Context:

For a brief history on Isaiah you can refer to my post Fear of Man. The book of Isaiah is believed to have been written in multiple sections. This particular chapter was written while the people of Judah were in Babylonian captivity. God used Isaiah to preach a message of hope and to prophesy the coming redemption, they must only trust in the Lord and wait on Him.

The Text:

The people of Israel were tired of being in captivity. They felt weak, and often felt there was no hope to get out; Isaiah then comes with this message. Throughout the chapter Isaiah is reminding the Israelites of who there God is. He reminds them that "the grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.” He then ends it with this promise. He tells the Israelites that God is the one that will give them power when they feel weak, He will increase their strength. All they have to do is wait on the Lord. It is so simple yet sometimes so difficult. But the promise is that if they wait on the Lord than he will give them the strength to soar above their problems, to continue running, and to walk against all obstacles. All they have to do is wait on the Lord.

The Challenge:

Take time today to wait on God. Stop everything you are doing, turn off all the electronics, silence your phone if you have to! Cut out all distractions and simply be in God's presence. For at least ten minutes, don't even pray! Too often our times with God consist only of us spouting our prayers, take time to wait on Him without even saying anything. Maybe He will say something to you, if so write it down, but maybe He won't. But I guarantee whether you hear from Him or not, you will come out of that time refreshed and strengthened from being in the presence of God!

The Prayer:

Lord, let your will be done in this time of silence before you.