Isaiah 40:31

"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; they shall walk, and not faint."

A close friend and I discussed this passage the other day, and she brought out some thoughts that I had never considered before, but that I found to be very challenging and edifying. I share them now with you.

It is interesting to note the progression in the verse: "mount up with wings"-->"run and not be weary"-->"walk and not faint." In all three cases (whether one is soaring, running, or walking), it is the LORD Who gives the strength. Sometimes He gives us strength to soar; sometimes He gives us strength to run without growing weary; and sometimes He gives us just enough strength to walk and to not faint. He knows that we do not need to soar or to run. We need to slowly and painfully put one foot ahead of the other. We need to feel the rising faintness, and still, by His strength, not faint. We need to feel our desperate weakness. It is what we need. It is what He Who has our best interests at heart knows that we need most in order to know Him. We need strength to walk and not faint.

In times of walking, do we trust Him? Do we recognize that it is His strength which keeps us from fainting? Do we praise Him and worship Him and adore Him even as we do when by that same strength we soar with wings as eagles? Are we content to walk, and to let His strength be perfected in our weariness and weakness? Are we willing to accept His strength in times of walking, rather than proudly and coldly requesting to soar? What if walking is what we need right now? Do we take walking from His hand as readily and gratefully as mounting up with wings or running tirelessly? Let us trust our God supremely. Let us know Him and prove His faithfulness whether we soar, whether we run, or whether we walk without fainting.