0:00 Good morning.0:01 Let's sit with a thought together before the day rushes in.0:06 Yesterday, we reflected on clothing ourselves in compassion and kindness, from Colossians.0:14 But that requires a deep well of energy.0:18 And some days, that well feels empty.0:21 Today's reading speaks directly to that feeling.0:26 It tells us where to find the strength we need, especially when we feel we have none left to give.0:34 The reading is from the prophet Isaiah, chapter forty, verse thirty-one.0:41 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.0:46 They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Let that promise just settle for a moment.1:00 It's a promise made to the tired.1:03 To the overwhelmed.1:04 To anyone who has ever felt like they just can't take another step.1:10 The key, the very first part of this promise, is in the waiting.1:16 "Those who hope in the Lord." The original Hebrew word here for "hope" can also mean to wait, or to bind together.1:27 It’s not a passive, empty waiting, like waiting for a bus that might be late.1:33 It is an active, expectant waiting.1:37 It’s the feeling of knowing a loved one is on their way.1:42 You wait with anticipation.1:44 You wait with trust.1:46 It's a quiet, confident posture of the heart that says, "I know help is coming.1:53 I know I am not alone in this." And what happens when we adopt that posture?2:00 The promise unfolds.2:02 Our strength is renewed.2:04 This isn't about mustering up more energy from our own depleted reserves.2:11 It’s about being given a strength that is NOT our own.2:16 The verse gives us three beautiful pictures of what this renewed strength looks like.2:23 First, "they will soar on wings like eagles."
This is for the moments you need a completely different perspective.2:34 When you're stuck in the weeds, tangled in the details and the drama of a situation.2:41 This is the strength that lifts you UP, above the noise, to see the whole landscape.2:49 It’s that sudden clarity, that glimpse of the bigger picture that makes the immediate problem seem smaller, more manageable.3:00 For you, today, this might be the strength to rise above a conflict at work, or to see a family issue with new eyes of grace.3:11 Second, "they will run and not grow weary."
This is the strength of endurance.3:19 This is for the marathon seasons of life.3:22 The long project with a far-off deadline.3:26 The slow process of healing.3:29 The steady work of raising a family or caring for a loved one.3:34 It’s not about a short burst of speed.3:38 It’s about having the stamina to keep going, day after day, without giving up.3:45 If you're in a season that feels like a long, hard run, this promise is for you.3:52 It says your energy for the race doesn't have to run out.3:57 And finally, and perhaps most tenderly, "they will walk and not be faint."
This, I think, is for most of us, on most days.4:08 Life isn't always a dramatic battle or a long-distance race.4:14 Sometimes, the hardest part is just...4:17 walking.4:18 Getting out of bed.4:20 Making the coffee.4:21 Answering the emails.4:23 Showing up.4:24 This promise says that God's strength is available even for that.4:30 For the simple, faithful, ordinary act of putting one foot in front of the other.4:37 It is a promise of quiet persistence.4:41 It means you can make it through this day without collapsing.4:46 So, here is what that means for you, right now, as you look at the hours ahead.4:53 Your feeling of weariness is not a sign of failure.4:58 It is an invitation.5:00 It’s a signal from your soul to pause, even for a breath, and to shift your trust.5:07 To stop trying to do it all on your own, and to quietly, expectantly, wait on the Lord.5:15 Whether today requires you to soar above a problem, to run a long race, or simply to walk… the strength you need is not a limited resource you have to guard.5:29 It is a gift, waiting for you.5:32 May you feel that strength rising in you today.5:36 May you feel carried.5:38 And may you walk through this day, step by step, knowing you are not faint, because you are not alone.
