Strength to Keep Going

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Episode Transcript

(00:37):
Welcome back to Beyond Sundayand day 24 of our series
anchored in God's promises.
We've been walking through verseafter verse reminding ourselves
that God's word holds steady nomatter what comes our way.
Today we come to the one of themost beloved promises in
scripture, Isaiah 40 31.
It's a verse that is carriedcountless believers through
seasons of exhaustion anddiscouragement.

(00:59):
I heard it first probably when Iwas eight or nine years old.
And I remember this first.
I had a t-shirt with a verse onit.
This became a huge verse indifferent seasons of my life.
Let me read it for you.
But those who hope in the Lordwill renew their strength.
They will sore on wings likeeagles.
They will run and not growweary.
They will walk and not faint.

(01:19):
Now, lemme give you a littlecontext.
This was a tired group ofpeople.
Isaiah spoke these words topeople who were weary.
Israel had experienced judgment.
Exile and loss, they were askingthe same questions.
You and I sometimes ask God,have you forgotten me?
Do you see how tired I am?
And in response, God doesn'tjust say, try harder or push

(01:41):
through.
He offers them a promise.
If you place your hope in me, Iwill give you strength You
cannot produce on your own.
So what does it mean to hope inthe Lord?
This isn't wishful thinkinglike, I hope it doesn't rain
tomorrow.
Biblical hope is confidence,trust, expectation in God's
character.

(02:02):
To hope in the Lord means weshift the weight of our
dependence from ourselves.
To him it's saying, God, I can'tcarry this, but I believe you
can.
And when we do that, somethingsupernatural happens.
Our strength is renewed.
Now, notice how the verse givesus three pictures.
Soaring on wings like eagles.
That's the mountaintop season,right?

(02:22):
When you feel lifted high abovethe chaos of life.
Eagles don't flap frantically.
They soar with ease carried bythe wind.
God gives us moments like thatwhere his presence lifts us and
carries us further than we couldgo on our own.
Running and not growing.
Weary is the second imagery itgives us.
That's the season of endurance.

(02:42):
Maybe it's parenting young kidspushing through a work deadline
or serving faithfully inministry.
You don't always feel likeyou're soaring, but you're
running with perseverance andGod keeps your legs moving.
Now, the third imagery it gaveus was walking and not fainting.
Sometimes life isn't aboutsoaring or sprinting.
It's about putting one foot infront of the other.
Maybe today you're not flying orrunning, you're just walking,

(03:05):
but even there, God promises youwon't collapse.
This shows us God's strengthisn't just for the highs, it's
for the ordinary days and theheavy days too.
Have you ever watched an eaglein flight?
They don't waste energy flappingtheir wings nonstop.
Instead, they wait for the windcurrents to lift them higher.
That's a picture of what itmeans to hope in the Lord.

(03:27):
We don't have to exhaustourselves by constant striving.
Instead, we position ourselvesto be lifted by the spirit of
God.
His presence becomes the currentthat carries us.
The strength comes not from ourfrantic effort, but from resting
in his power.
Think about where you are rightnow.
Maybe you're in a soaring seasoncelebrating God's goodness,

(03:49):
thank him for lifting you.
Maybe you're running hard, busy,stretched and tired.
Ask him for endurance.
Or maybe you're just walking,hanging on by a thread, knowing
that his promise is still foryou.
You will not faint wherever youare.
This verse is an invitation.
Stop relying on your strengthand place your hope fully in

(04:10):
his.
Here's your challenge today.
Okay.
Write down one area where youfeel weak, weary, or worn down.
Then write next to it.
Write these words, but my hopeis in the Lord.
He will renew my strength.
Carry that with you through theday.
Every time you feel the weightpressing in, remind yourself.
Strength is not about what I canproduce.

(04:30):
It's about what God provides.
Let's pray together.
Lord.
Thank you.
That your strength never runsdry.
Thank you.
That when we are weary, you liftus up.
You help us endure, and youcarry us one step at a time.
Teach us to place our hope inyou instead of ourselves.
Renew our strength today.
In Jesus' name, amen.

(04:51):
Hey, that's it for day 24 ofAnchor to God's Promises.
If this verse encouraged you,send this verse to someone
that's running on empty today,that this be a reminder that God
is Rene ready to renew theirstrength as well.
I'll see you back tomorrow.