Strength to Endure the Journey

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 KJV

"But those expecting Jehovah pass to power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!" Isaiah 40:31 Young's Literal Translation

Enduring the journey is often a difficult task. We may question the direction we are heading, asking God if we are going the right way. The Lord never promised that we would not have to endure difficult roads or long journeys. In all actuality, Paul equated our time on this earth with running a race. It is a race of length, a journey, a test of endurance.

I have always quoted the King James Version of Isaiah 40:31. It is the one most commonly referenced. I came across Young's Literal Translation this morning, and it gives a refreshing new view on this scripture.

"But those expecting Jehovah to pass power..."
Jehovah is a special, significant name for our God. The meaning of this special name appears to be "the unchanging, eternal, self-existent God," the "I am that I am," "a convenant-keeping God." He is constant. He will always keep His promises. He is forever.

Expecting Him to pass power reflects an expectancy for God to act. If it is power passed by God, that means that we are unable to accomplish this task without Him.....it requires His power. Our strength alone is not sufficient.

"They raise up the pinion as eagles"
The pinions of an eagle are the primary feathers used for flight. They control the lift and directional movement of the bird. The strength of these feathers are unparalleled, and the follicle of each feather must endure the extreme atmospheric pressure encountered during flight. Interestingly, these feathers also provide insulation preserve the eagle's body heat in the cold, as well as shielding against overheating. When an eagle raises or spreads it's primary feathers, it reduces the drag on the bird's flight. Drag is an aerodynamic force that reduces the forward motion of any object.

Think about those concepts......God promises that we will be able to rise above the situation and will be able to move in a concerted direction. We won't be subject to which ever way the wind blows. We will have the strenth to endure, and will be protected against the extremes. While we may encounter cold or heat, they will not be allowed to overcome us. Also, He will help us to continue forward. We were built to move forward, to move on toward the goal.

They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!"
God doesn't promise that everything will come to us. We will move toward the goal, even running to the goal at times. Remember, he built us for forward motion. He did not build us to stay in one place or to move backward. Even though our journey may be long, he will provide the endurance required when we trust in Him.

Eagles travel long distances by climbing high upon a thermal current and then gliding to catch the next thermal. While we often see and think of eagles as solitary birds, during long journeys they will sometimes travel in thermals together. Endure your journey by rising above the circumstances. While your journey may not be exactly the same as someone else's, remember that God has placed others in our lives to help us complete the length of the course.


God provides amazing promises in His word, and He is always true to them. It is His very nature. The condition of these promises??........"Those who trust in the Lord." It boils down to one word--TRUST. Do you trust the creator of the universe to direct your path and give you the strength to endure the journey? Ask the Lord to strengthen your trust in Him--it is the fuel necessary to complete your journey.

Don't Give Up on Others

"One of the primary reasons Helen Kellar never gave up on herself was that Anne Sullivan never gave up on her." p. 59, Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer

How often do we "give up" on people? Perhaps they are difficult, they are going through trying circumstances, or we feel like we don't have "time" to deal with what is going on. Maybe they have made the same mistake more than once. We can come up with a laundry list of justifications. But how appropriate is that response?

Consider the story of Helen Kellar from the book The Miracle Worker. Helen Kellar had many characteristics that would made her situation "messy" or difficult to deal with. She was both deaf and blind, and as a result of the frustration she felt from these issues, she would become violently angry, lashing out at those closest to her. Multiple people had already given up on her, and deemed her situation as "hopeless."

Anne Sullivan could have very easily done the same and decided that this assignment was too hard, that God would never ask her to endure such a thing. She could have justified that Helen had too many difficulties, and that she would never be able to overcome all the struggles she faced in her life. Instead, what she chose to do was walk with Helen through her struggles, and ultimately to a changed life.

Did Anne "fix" everything wrong with Helen? Was she the full reason that Helen Kellar became the person she was later in life? No. While Anne helped Helen in the ways that she was led, it was God's work inside Helen that ultimately changed her. Anne was there, though, never giving up on Helen.

We cannot change anyone. We cannot fix someone else's problems, issues, or difficulties. It is only when we lay them on God's altar and allow Him full reign to do what He needs to do in their lives that real and lasting changes occur. God may call you to walk beside someone in their time of trial. He may call you to "be there" from a distance. You may be called to remain an unknown prayer warrior on that person's behalf. The response is still the same......if God has placed that person on your heart, never give up on them.

The Bible teaches us that God knows every moment of every day of our lives, before we even are born on this earth (see Psalm 139). That means God knows the past, present, and future of both you & the person he has laid on your heart. Do you trust God's wisdom in directing you who to pray for or be there for, or is your logic and human understanding superior to the Almighty's omniscience?

If he calls you to stand beside or pray for someone through their storm, he will give you the strength for that. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 states, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." God will give you the strength to continue to pray, to stand beside, or to be there as a witness for that person. Don't feel, however, that you are the one that must make things happen. That is not our role. God is the source of healing, redemption, and change.

Who has God laid on your heart today & in what capacity? Be obedient to His call; He will be true to his promise.