Sacred Whispers Blog

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV)

Everything around us relies on the power of God for its life and vitality.  Look at how strong and stately the trees stand, rooted in the ground beneath them.  Look at how graceful and effortless the birds fly from limb to limb without any signs of care.  Notice the beauty of the flowers in the open field, or the majesty of the mountain peaks soaring above the horizon.  All of God’s creation exists because He gives it strength. How much more does He desire to strengthen His children – those who are the crowning work of His creation? Let the words of Isaiah 40:29-31 become an anchor for our souls: God gives power to the weary and increases the strength of those who have no might. What I love about this passage is that it doesn’t deny the reality of our weariness, nor the inevitability of our human limitations. Instead, while acknowledging that we are “weak and… have no might,” it audaciously points us to the One who alone can “increase” and “renew” our strength.  These words paint for us an unforgettable picture of a strong God picking up the frail body of one of His precious children and breathing new life into him, filling him with strength, passion, and courage for the journey ahead.

The prophet Isaiah knew the importance of hope. Without any doubt, the Israelites, worn down by captivity, must have wondered if their strength would ever return and if their discouraged hearts could ever be healed. Yet, Isaiah reminds them—and us—that man’s ability can never bring about the strength and resilience of God. We do not thrive in this life as a result of our own efforts. Our wit and ingenuity are woefully insufficient to bring about God’s unfailing strength. This kind of strength can only come from waiting on Lord.

THE STRENGTH OF A LIBERATOR

To understand this truth, we need only look at the life of Harriet Tubman, a woman who embodied the promises of Isaiah 40. Born into slavery, Tubman endured unimaginable hardship, physical labor, and torture at the whims of her slave masters. Her life was a testament to human vulnerability and divine strength. Stripped of the human freedom and dignity she was created by God to have, she experienced the kind of weakness that Isaiah speaks of—a weariness that no human power could overcome.

Yet Harriet Tubman did not succumb to despair. Instead, she placed her hope in God and allowed His strength to carry her through. After escaping slavery herself, she could have chosen to stay in the safety of freedom. But Tubman felt a divine call, a God-given mission, to return to the South and rescue others. Leading over 70 enslaved individuals to freedom through the Underground Railroad, she earned the code name “Moses.” What Tubman accomplished was not a result of physical strength; rather, it was a result of a spiritual strength rooted in an unwavering faith.

Time after time, she risked her life to lead other slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She journeyed through the darkness, often without food or rest, driven by an unshakeable knowledge that God’s strength was greater than her own. In her own words, she accredited her success to the guidance and power of God when she is quoted in Sarah Bradford’s biography of her, saying, “Twasn’t me, ‘twas the Lord! I always told Him, ‘I trust in You. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect You to lead me,’ and He always did.’”[1]

Harriet Tubman’s life reflects the essence of Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” She didn’t run from weakness, or fear, or the threats of losing her life at the hands of lynch mobs who vowed to kill her.  No, Harriet found herself waiting on the Lord, and facing each of these deadly adversaries head-on.  When we wait on God, we find power to rise above our circumstances, to “mount up with wings like eagles.”

HOPE FOR THE WEARY

Tubman’s story reminds us that no matter how weak or weary we feel, God’s strength is available to us. She could have been paralyzed by fear and felt completely overwhelmed by the enormity of the assignment that was placed upon her life. But instead, she chose to trust in the God who called her. Her life was a living testimony to the truth of Isaiah 40:29-31: God “gives power to the faint and increases the strength of those who have no might.”

Like Harriet, we are called to trust in the Lord’s provision, rely on His strength, and persevere in the face of adversity. We may not be leading others to freedom through dangerous terrain, muddy swamps, and dark, starless nights, but we are each on our own personal journeys of faith. I have a burden to carry, and so do you. I have obstacles to overcome, and so do you. The news that rejoices my heart and fills me with hope is that any man who walks with God never walks alone.

When you feel like you’ve simply run out of gas, you can’t take another step, and you feel your faith slipping through your fingers, remember this: God is the source of your strength. Trust Him; He will renew you. There is a refreshing that He provides that can come from no other source. Lean on Him and let Him empower you and enable you to soar on wings like eagles.

LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES

What can we learn from the timeless truths of Isaiah 40:29-31, and Harriet Tubman’s extraordinary life?

1. We Learn to Acknowledge our Limitations. Like Tubman, we will face seasons when our strength is insufficient, and the challenges before us seem larger than our power to bear. This is not the time to run away from the Lord; this is the time to run towards Him, surrendering all of our strength to Him and trusting His power to sustain us.
2. We Learn to Embrace the Discipline of Waiting on the Lord. The Hebrew word for “wait” in this passage implies ‘active trust’, not ‘passive doubt’. Literally, waiting on God in scripture means to possess a patient expectation that God will do everything He has promised.  Be assured that waiting on the Lord is not passive; it is a deliberate act of faith. It means seeking Him in prayer, meditating on His Word, and trusting that He is working behind the scenes even when we can’t see it.
3. We Learn That the strength God Provides isn’t Just for Surviving—it’s For Thriving. Isaiah’s imagery of mounting up with wings like eagles reminds us that when God strengthens us, it enables us to rise above life’s challenges, to see our circumstances from His perspective. He gives us the endurance to run our race and the resilience to keep walking. Even though the night is long, keep walking.  Even though the journey is hard, keep walking.  It’s a strange paradox.  The more you walk, you soon find the power to run, and the more you run, you soon find the power to fly… like eagles.

PRAYER

Lord, I confess that I often try to rely on my own strength, and I grow weary under the weight of life’s challenges. Help me to trust in You, to wait on Your timing, and to lean into Your power. Renew my strength, Lord, so I can run the race You’ve set before me. Thank You for the example of faithful servants like Harriet Tubman, who trusted You through trials and triumphs. May I find courage and hope in Your unchanging faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DAILY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Take a walk outside and observe the world around you. Notice the strength of the trees, the flight of birds, and the steady rhythm of nature. Reflect on how these elements rely on God’s design and provision. As you walk, pray and thank God for His sustaining strength in your life. Let this time serve as a reminder that He renews your strength, just as He renews creation daily.