RENEWING OUR STRENGTH

Isaiah 40:31 - "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

It is  more than probable that these lines will be read and felt by some of us  who have lost heart or discouraged with the situations in our lives. We are fainting beneath the long and laborious  strain of life, and ready to give up in despair. It seems as though God had forgotten to be gracious, and in anger had shut up His tender mercies upon us. To all of us with such ideas, Isaiah says: God is not tired because we think He is because we are. But the inspired  message is to "Wait upon the Lord, and change our strength. The question is not as to altering our environment, but altering our courage, our power of endurance, our assurance of victory; then, notwithstanding every hindrance and difficulty, we will mount up on wings like eagles, we will run without being weary, we will walk without being faint.

The inevitable order of this verse is: (1) Mounting up--(2) running--(3) walking!  We should have supposed that it should have been walking in the beginnings of religious experience; then the walk breaking into the run; and finally the runner leaping on wings into the blue sky, like the eagle a black speck against the blue! But experience confirms the prophetic order. Isaiah is right! We mount, we run, we walk!

Let us claim the promise--"They that wait on the Lord shall change their strength." Too often in the past we have depended on the stimulus of services, sermons, conventions which have made the embers glow again on the heart's altar. But as we have gone back to our homes, to our daily responsibilities, with a new zeal and impulse that has lasted for weeks or months. Then we have found ourselves flagging again; because we have run and got weary; we have walked and become faint.

Time tells on us! Moods influence us! Circumstances impede us! - To all such comes the word; if you would once more mount up and run and walk, you must change your strength. Time tells on us! Moods influence us! Circumstances impede us! Satan blows cold blasts on our heart of fires and cools them! Sins pile up their debris thus separating us from God! From all these let us turn once more to Jesus and wait on Him. "My soul, wait thou only upon the Lord, for my expectation is from Him." Look not back, but forward! Not down, but up! Not in, but out! Never to our own heart, but keep looking to Jesus, made near and living by the grace of the Holy Spirit. So shall we change our strength, as we wait upon the Lord.

You have known everything about  us  Lord. How often we have sorely let and hindered in running the race which is set before us. May Thy bountiful grace and mercy come to our rescue, that we finish our course and race in this life with glorious joy, and receive the crown of life.

By the Grace of the Holy Spirit, I now stand:

Taniela Fonua (Lapaifonua)