A few years ago, a good friend of mine shared one of her favorite verses to me when I texted her about my troubles: Isaiah 40:31. I was encouraged by that. Now, in the midst of my current personal problems, I revisited that verse and went backwards seeking how is it that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
A prophecy of comfort
Isaiah 40 is a message of God for His people who are exiled into Babylon. It speaks of the forgiveness of God (v.2), and the coming of God Himself for which repentance is needed (vv. 3-5), as fulfilled with the coming of Christ as heralded by John the Baptist. It is meant to comfort them in their troubles. But how is the message comforting?
God the Eternal (vv. 6-8)
According to this passage, people are temporal like grass. They don’t last very long. This is hopeful because this means that oppression by people will end because people themselves end. This is true of the Marcos dictatorship when it was toppled by the People power Revolution of 1986 with Cory Aquino sworn in as President. This is true of all the troubles that we are experiencing in this world: they will all end someday. But the Word of God, the promises of God, will stand forever because God Himself will stand forever. So even if people called by God to do His will on this earth pass away, like Pastora Fe, and all of us who serve Him here, rest assured that the God we serve will stand forever and His purposes will come to pass, even if we who serve Him pass away.
God is a mighty and caring God (vv. 9-11)
God comes with might and He will rule with power, rewarding those whom He will reward (v. 9-10). He is also a caring God, who will tend to His people as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. He will not just lead them, but He will even carry them in His arms and in His bosom. This is how tenderly God loves us.
God the Almighty, the All-Wise, the All-Encompassing (vv. 12-26)
God created everything that exists, and here He displays His absolute power over all creation. He is also all-knowing and all-wise. He is also bigger than anything that our eyes can see. Therefore, He can do anything, He knows what is best, and He is in control of everything.
Conclusion of the matter
Why then, do we say that God does not see, nor does He care? God is all-powerful, He does not grow tired and He knows our situation even better than we do, and He gives according to what He knows is best. “Waiting” for the Lord means holding on to His promises as we work and wait for their fulfillment. And He will fulfill them. Proof? This prophecy was written by Isaiah towards the end of his life at around 681 BC, about 100 years before the Jews were even exiled to Babylon in 586 BC. God was comforting them in advance!
It is this hope in God and in His promises that God uses to give us strength. As a parting note, eagles fly just by spreading their wings and letting the wind carry them, unlike the sparrows who keep flapping their wings just to stay in flight. Let us be like the eagle and spread our arms in surrender to our mighty and loving God and rest in His being God and in His promises, that He might carry us to heights we can’t even dream of.
*This is a revised version of the message I preached last 2 August 2009 at Jesus Christ Our Hope and Redeemer Church, San Mateo, Rizal
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