Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) - 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.
It is easy to become discouraged when we look at the things of this world. It seems that the wicked prosper while the righteous struggle. Evil appears to be winning the battle for hearts and souls while God’s Word is ridiculed and watered down by those seeking the acclaim... of this world. Churches are no longer separate from this world but embrace this world and seek for the approval of man rather than God. It is no wonder that we hear more and more of ministers “burning out”. It is natural to burn out when the oil runs out. We are just the wick in the lantern. Without the Holy Spirit to fuel us we will burn out and darkness will overwhelm us.
But those who “wait upon the Lord”, those who are flowing with the oil from Heaven will renew their strength. When this world gets you down it is important to return to source of our salvation. Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:14
“Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
To fully understand Isaiah’s declaration we have to review verse 28 where Isaiah gives this description of the nature of God:
God does not faints, even though he upholds all things by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3);
God does not grow weary, we do not have to worry about our Lord ever reaching the end of His strength. "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keeps thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand,” (Psalm 121:3-5);
He possesses all knowledge – God Knows! His knowledge is beyond our human comprehension.
The prophet Isaiah concludes this word with a bold statement declaring that those that put their hope in the Lord will do extraordinary things. Knowing the unfailing nature of God Isaiah reminds us that God shares His power and strength with everyone that depends on Him. He gives power to the faint and strength to those that have no might. (vs. 29) If you are struggling and you don’t know what to do Jesus stands with arms open wide and beckons all who are heavy laden to come unto him and He will give you rest.
Jesus is the source of our life, our joy, our strength, and our help. When the world is pressing in and your strength is gone go to the well. Jesus is waiting for you.
Showing posts with label weakness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weakness. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
A Man Of Steel
Matthew 5:5 (NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Meekness is often misunderstood as weakness. To be meek does not mean that a person is a coward, timid, or will give in so that they can live in peace. It does not mean that we are wishy-washy, indecisive or lack confidence. It does not mean that we are shy or withdrawn and most certainly cannot be defined as “nice”. Aristotle described meekness as “the mean between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness.” The word is widely used in Greek literature and was easily understood in the time of Christ. The word is used to describe tame animals and a gentle breeze. Consider both examples. There is perhaps nothing more soothing than caress of a gentle breeze as it flows over you and puts your senses at ease. Yet that same wind can drive a ship across the ocean and rip up trees in the midst of a hurricane. A lion may be tamed and can stand majestic next to a man but the strength and power contained in those jaws and legs are undeniable. Meekness is not weakness but strength under control.
Man is generally considered the stronger of the sexes for good reason. Our bodies are designed to conqueror the elements, provide food, and defend our families. Physically it is obvious that men are stronger than what some might call the “weaker” sex. But left untamed the strength of man becomes destructive and instead of producing the security intended by God’s design destroys the very thing it was created to love and cherish. In trying to rule through force we instead destroy. God has called us to lead by serving, to receive by giving, to find by losing, to live by dying, to become rich by being poor, to be first by being last. The ways of God are not attainable by force but we must place our minds and bodies under subjection. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” That verse ends a discourse on running the race to win. A marathon is not won by the fastest runner but by the one that can control their strength and endure to the end.
The old story of the tortoise and the hare teaches us that being the fastest or strongest isn’t what wins the race. Steadfastness, endurance, patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness those are the fruit of the winner. When the crowd throws you to the ground and demands you deny Christ, when they beat you and spit on you, imprison you and torture you, when death comes for you at the hands of cruel and ungodly men that will not be the time to learn to be meek. We must learn of Christ today when the boss passes us over for the promotion for which we worked so hard. We must resolve to be like Jesus when our friends speak to us with words that pierce our hearts. We must learn to be led by the Spirit as we forgive those that despitefully use us. As we stand for Christ, reflecting His glory in every trial our meekness will be forged as strong as steel.
Meekness is often misunderstood as weakness. To be meek does not mean that a person is a coward, timid, or will give in so that they can live in peace. It does not mean that we are wishy-washy, indecisive or lack confidence. It does not mean that we are shy or withdrawn and most certainly cannot be defined as “nice”. Aristotle described meekness as “the mean between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness.” The word is widely used in Greek literature and was easily understood in the time of Christ. The word is used to describe tame animals and a gentle breeze. Consider both examples. There is perhaps nothing more soothing than caress of a gentle breeze as it flows over you and puts your senses at ease. Yet that same wind can drive a ship across the ocean and rip up trees in the midst of a hurricane. A lion may be tamed and can stand majestic next to a man but the strength and power contained in those jaws and legs are undeniable. Meekness is not weakness but strength under control.
Man is generally considered the stronger of the sexes for good reason. Our bodies are designed to conqueror the elements, provide food, and defend our families. Physically it is obvious that men are stronger than what some might call the “weaker” sex. But left untamed the strength of man becomes destructive and instead of producing the security intended by God’s design destroys the very thing it was created to love and cherish. In trying to rule through force we instead destroy. God has called us to lead by serving, to receive by giving, to find by losing, to live by dying, to become rich by being poor, to be first by being last. The ways of God are not attainable by force but we must place our minds and bodies under subjection. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” That verse ends a discourse on running the race to win. A marathon is not won by the fastest runner but by the one that can control their strength and endure to the end.
The old story of the tortoise and the hare teaches us that being the fastest or strongest isn’t what wins the race. Steadfastness, endurance, patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness those are the fruit of the winner. When the crowd throws you to the ground and demands you deny Christ, when they beat you and spit on you, imprison you and torture you, when death comes for you at the hands of cruel and ungodly men that will not be the time to learn to be meek. We must learn of Christ today when the boss passes us over for the promotion for which we worked so hard. We must resolve to be like Jesus when our friends speak to us with words that pierce our hearts. We must learn to be led by the Spirit as we forgive those that despitefully use us. As we stand for Christ, reflecting His glory in every trial our meekness will be forged as strong as steel.
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