Learning to Hope

Isaiah 40:28-31

New International Version (NIV)

²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
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

The author says it in vs 21 and again in vs 28, "Don't you know this?" 

Obviously we don't. Or, we forget. We forget not just that God is The Creator, but we forget that as everlasting God, he won't get exhausted with us.  

The next reminder is needed daily; we can't do it ourselves. I watch my 3 year old run non stop, constantly revved up and lament that I wish I had his energy. That's not the answer though, I just don't need more energy to sustain myself, because "even youths grow tired and weary". It's not about us doing or gaining more, it's about the key word in vs. 31 hope.

In Hebrew this word is Qavah meaning "to wait, look for, hope, expect"  What the verse doesn't say is, those who love the Lord will renew their strength, or those who endure hardships will renew their strength. It doesn't say if you wait patiently, or go to church a bunch.  The word is pretty specific, it's a waiting filled with expectancy and hope.  It's that feeling at 4:55pm on a Friday at work, or seeing the UPS truck pull up with the gift you've been expecting. It's the last week of being pregnant or the final 2 minutes of a game when your team is just slightly ahead.

Do you have that kind of can't sit still with anticipation feeling towards the Lord? 

Here's the other amazing part about this verse. When we wait with expectation for the Lord he will renew our strength. Renew, however, isn't just a refill, it's an actual change.  

The word in Hebrew is Chalaph and means "to pass through, grow up, or change" This word is most often translated as change. In other words, God doesn't promise just more human strength, he is talking about changing the nature of our strength. The new strength he tells us is something of God, and is described pretty incredibly in those last verses. We will soar like eagles (sounds refreshing), run and not be labored (literally not have to work at running) and walk (translated more like our daily coming and going) without getting fatigued. 

If we can just remember to not rely on our own strength, instead eagerly expect God to take over our weariness and change our strength to his unlimited power... we'll get ready to soar!