As I was reading my Bible the other day, a verse I have read hundreds of times before and earnestly memorized had a completely different meaning. The Holy Spirit was wanting to teach me something further about my favorite verse. It was one of those lightbulb moments that occur when you have a new revelation about something. I would love to share what I learned in my Bible study.
The Amplified version of Isaiah 40:31 states:
“But those who wait for the Lord {who expect, look for, and hope in Him} will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings {and rise up close to God} like eagles {rising toward the sun}; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired. ”
As I studied this I saw something new: I don’t get renewed strength until I expect, look for, and hope in Him. I have to give God my problems. I can’t pray one moment and begin to reason and worry about the problem I just prayed about the next moment. I have to be silent before God and rest in Him. Only then will my strength be renewed and I can run and walk and not grow weary or tired.
As I pondered on this, a picture began to form in my mind. When a soldier is at war, he or she becomes very weary in the battle. All they want to do is stay alive and get some peace and rest. When they finally are able to relax, their strength begins to be renewed. They don’t receive the peace in the battle, they receive the peace as they begin to rest and trust that their officers know what they are doing and will do everything to keep their soldiers safe.
It is the same way with God. When we learn to trust Him, and give Him all of our fears, anxieties, and worries, He will give us peace. We can rest knowing that God is in charge and He has our best interest at heart. I, myself, need to come to a place where I can completely give God all of my worries and fears.
King David wrote in Psalms 5:3; “When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You. In God, whose word I praise; In God I have put my trust; I shall not fear. What can mere man do to me?”
David accepted the fact that he would experience fear in his life, but he declared that he would put his faith and trust in God when fear comes. Because of his faith and trust in God, David was able to live boldly and courageously. We can choose to live this way also.
When we give God our problems and begin to expect Him to move on our behalf, we can soar on wings as eagles knowing that God’s got us. If we know we can’t fix our problems, we should learn to give them to God and begin to relax while He works things out for our good. The moment we realize that God is in control and we begin to trust and put our faith in Him, our soul and body begin to relax and we can begin to soar on wings as eagles. We can begin to enjoy our lives and live again.
Finding Joy In Today 