“Lord I Need More Strength”--Day Four

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
Isa 40:29-30

The next two verses following these quoted here, are everywhere from coffee mugs to jewelry. We all like to think of soaring like eagles and renewing our strength…but what about the weak, the sick and the powerless spoken of first?  If even people in the prime of their lives strength-wise, can stumble and fall after extreme duress or say, running a marathon, then it is true that as human beings we are weak…The previous verses say that mankind looks to the Lord like grasshoppers.  Grasshoppers are small and pretty weak…although they can make a lot of noise.

And if even the strong among us get tired, how about those for whom standing up from a chair is extremely difficult? It is true that the weak and powerless must consciously rely on the Lord moment by moment to get through a day.  And it says that God responds to this need.  

Right now, I’m getting around my dad’s house on a knee scooter to avoid putting my foot in contact with the floor and let me tell you after two days of doing this, I’m feeling it terribly in my gluts and the back of my Achilles tendon....  I confess to you that I am extremely weak and de-conditioned. And now that part of my body is out of commission (I just had ankle surgery) and I must rely on the other parts to pick up the slack. It is then that the weakness of my legs and the arthritis in both ankles puts up a squawk and gives pain to let me know I NEED some outside source of strength.  I must cry out to God because he is the only one who is a source of fortitude and strength.

What qualifies me to expect some strength from the hand of God?  The next verse says it.  “Those who Trust in the LORD.”  The words I most often hear from God are these four words, “DO YOU TRUST ME?” and when I hear them, I know that my faith is flagging and I need to confess that and restate the response to his question: “Yes, Lord, You know I trust You.” And then I get excited because, I also know, then, that God will make His word good and hear my cry for help.                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
  They will soar high on wings like eagles
They will run and not grow weary.
  They will walk and not faint.