~ Isaiah 40:29–31
Isaiah speaks these words to weary exiles in Babylon, people who felt forgotten by God and crushed by their circumstances. Into their despair, Isaiah declares: the Everlasting God does not grow tired or weary and He shares His strength with His people.
Notice the progression:
- “He gives power to the faint.” God doesn’t despise weakness; He meets it with power.
- “Even youths shall faint…” Human strength, no matter how young or vibrant, eventually fails.
- “But they who wait for the LORD…” The secret to thriving isn’t in endless striving. It’s in waiting.
The word wait (Hebrew: qavah) means to hope, look eagerly, or bind yourself to. It’s not passive. It’s active dependence. To wait on the Lord is to exchange our weakness for His strength.
And what happens?
- “They shall renew their strength.” Literally, “exchange strength”—laying down our own to take up His.
- “They shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Rising above trials, soaring with God’s perspective.
- “They shall run and not be weary; walk and not faint.” Endurance for both the extraordinary (running) and the ordinary (walking).
Applied to biblical health, this is a promise we desperately need. In a sick and weary world, exhaustion of all kinds, physical, mental, and spiritual, is common. But God promises renewal to those who wait on Him. His strength can carry us through illness, sustain us in caregiving, and refresh us when we feel burnt out.
Thriving doesn’t mean never growing tired. It means continually renewing strength by waiting on the Lord. Our health, resilience, and vitality ultimately flow not from ourselves, but from the God who never grows weary.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You give power to the faint and increase strength to the weary. Teach me to wait on You, to exchange my weakness for Your strength. Help me soar like an eagle, run without weariness, and walk faithfully without fainting. Amen.
