Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV)  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  [29]  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  [30]  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  [31]  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.

Audio of Message: 

We all have times when discouragement and trials seem to weigh us down. The difficulties of life drive happiness from us like a hawk drives a little mouse underground. We are tempted to run from the trials, fearful and uncertain. To hide in bed, to pull the covers up over our heads. To seek self medication and self solace in the trial. But then the Word of God cries out to us:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?

We are not alone on this earth. The godless person is the hopeless person, for they have no one to turn to. But we who know the Lord do. As W.A. Criswell once preached:

“The world is either a place where there is no God anywhere, or it is a place where there is everlasting God everywhere. And there’s no middle ground: this earth in which we live is without purpose and is nothing but a vast graveyard; or else it is our Father’s house and He keeps watch over His own.”

God Is Alive And He Is Able

Do you not know that God is there and He is not silent? I cries out through His creation that He is.

Isaiah 40:28 (KJV)  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth,

Our God is EVERLASTING and ETERNAL. His immensity is seen in the creation all about us. We are told:

Isaiah 40:25-26 (KJV)  To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.  [26]  Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

It is God Who made the stars above, the earth below, the very body you occupy. Stand outside at night – God says – and lift up your eyes. Look at what I made. I bring out the host – the multitude of stars – by number. I have created all these things. I call every star by name, and know them, for they are My work.”

On a clear cloudless night a person can see about three thousand stars with the naked eye. In 1608 German-Dutch lensmaker Hans Lippershey invented the telescope, a design that Galileo Galilei improved in 1610 and with that instrument was able to see thirty thousand stars. Years passed, and man increased the strength of the telescope till he could see six hundred and forty thousand stars. Then from 1785-1789 Sir William Herschel invented a Great Forty Foot Telescope that could see twenty six million stars. Following this Sir Robert Ball improved the telescope to where fifty million stars could be seen. Now with the Hubble telescope we can see an estimated 170 billion galaxies or as astronomers now say a septillion stars in the observable universe. I had to look up “septillion”. This is a “1” with 24 zeros following it – or a thousand raised to the eighth power – or a trillion trillion. God not only made these stars, but has named every one of them. God is immense in power. He is the Creator of all things. The Psalmist says:

Psalm 147:3-6 (NKJV) {God} heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.

Our God is immense in power – and yet has time for the smallest and most broken. Our God is our Creator, and He is not compassionless and dull concerning His creation. God cares. The Scripture declares:

Psalm 145:8-9 (NKJV) The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

God cares. The God Who made the immensity of the stars cares for you, and cares for me. Jesus said of God:

Luke 12:6-7 (NKJV) Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Of all the birds sold in the market in Jesus’ day the sparrow was the cheapest, with five being worth just a few pennies. Men considered the sparrow worthless, but God created the tiny sparrow just as He created the timy human and the tiny hairs on our heads. God created everything with purpose and value. Without sparrows the poorest people would not have been able to eat. God cares. God loves. God is compassionate toward all of His creation.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV) … the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

The Creator God does not get weary, nor does He pass out from use of energy. God is ALMIGHTY. He is El Shaddai, the God of all might and all power. God told Abraham our father:

Genesis 17:1 … I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

We can know God by His names. God is:

• Almighty (Genesis 49:25)
• Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19)
• Builder of everything (Hebrews 3:4)
• King of Heaven (Daniel 4:37)
• God of all mankind (Jeremiah 32:27)
• Eternal King. (Jeremiah 10:10)
• The only God (Jude 1:25)
• The Eternal God (Genesis 21:33)
• The Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)
• Maker of all things (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

The Bible tells us that our God is …

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) … able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

There is nothing that our God cannot do.

Job 9:6-10 (NKJV) {My God} shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; 7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; 8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; 9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

Our God is able! His power is without limits.

Psalm 115:3 (NKJV) But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

The Prophet Daniel – who experienced the power of God in a lion’s den and in Babylon – declared:

Daniel 4:35 (NKJV) All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

God is able. He is awesome in power and yet loves us who are His. Are you His?

I heard a story told by a former Sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department. He would demonstrate bulletproof vests to rookie officers by placing them on mannequins – then live firing rounds at them. After shooting the vests the rookies were then asked to examine them to see if any rounds had penetrated. The vests all passed with flying colors. Then the sergeant would turn to the rookies and ask them, “So who wants to wear a vest and let us test how it works on you?”.

The only way you can have confidence in a bullet proof vest is if YOU put it on and feel it stop the live rounds. Otherwise there is always doubt. God allows trials and tribulations to come into our lives to allow us to test Him and ourselves. Have I done as scripture says? Is Christ mine? Is God my Father?

Romans 13:12-14 (NKJV) The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Let us cast off the darkness. Let us reject depression and suicidal methods. Let us not rely on the darkness nor on the ways of this world, but let us rely on our God. He is able! He is able! He is able!

God Is Able To Make Us Able

Isaiah 40:29-20 (KJV)  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  [30]  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 

When we are young we thought we were immortal. But even young people grow old. In time human energy is expended, and we become faith and weary and utterly fail. But God is able to give power to the faint. When we bring our nothingness to Him He is able to make it into something. The broken life given to Christ becomes whole through Him. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength.

When we come to God as God then God can give us power for abundant living. The Apostle Paul said:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV) … lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

It is in our weakness that we surrender to God – and surrendered to Him we discover His power living through us.

Pastor Vince Gergardy wrote:

One of the great movies of all time was the 1959 epic Ben Hur. One of the movie’s most riveting scenes where Charlton Heston (who played Ben Hur) defeated his arch enemy in an extremely realistic chariot race. The scene required 5 weeks of filming, 15,000 extras, and 18 chariots. To add to the spirit of authenticity Charlton Heston actually learned to drive the chariots he’d be using in the race. But after weeks of practice, Heston was worried about the shoot. He confided in the stunt coordinator: “I can drive the chariot, but I’m not sure I can win.” The stunt man smiled and replied: “Chuck, you just make sure you stay in the chariot, and I’ll make sure you win the race.” You see, Heston had made the mistake of thinking that he actually had to win the race by his own power and skill. He had forgotten that the outcome had already been decided. It was in the script He couldn’t lose!

When we come to God and surrender to Him our weaknesses as well as our strengths God rewrites the script! The Church began on the day that Christ’s disciples did what Jesus told them to do. Jesus told them:

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) {Jesus} commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

They were to WAIT on the Lord. WAIT for the Promise that Jesus made. WAIT.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) they that WAIT upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

What did it mean to the disciples that they should WAIT. Did it mean to do nothing? No! For after Jesus ascended into Heaven we read:

Acts 1:12, 14 (NKJV) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. … 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

They WAITED upon the Lord. They prayed. They sought God’s face. They obeyed God’s Word. They did as Jesus said to do. And they WAITED. They did not procrastinate. They did not play video games, nor go on vacations, nor go out to eat. They did not host “Super Bowl Parties” at the Church. They did not form a praise band and jam, dancing in the aisles. They WAITED. They did as Abraham did when he did not know which way to go. He sat up his tent and then prayerfully sought the Lord on the horizon. He did as Moses said. God told Moses:

Exodus 33:14-17 (NKJV) … “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then {Moses} said to {God}, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” 17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

It is the PRESENCE OF GOD that proves the salvation of His people. If God is not Present, then we are not His. So we WAIT upon our Lord. We PRAY. We seek His will in His WORD. If God does not lead us to it, we will not go. We PRAY. We TRUST. We hear the words of the Apostle:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-23 (NKJV) … we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do good, for God is good. Trust God. Do not avenge, but trust God as avenger. Rejoice always. Praise God in the valleys as well as the mountaintop. God made everything, and controls all things. Trust Him, and praise Him, for He is your portion, a Portion that cannot be removed.

Pray without ceasing. Have you prayed about it, or is it just your opinion? Will what you want to do glorify God, or is it all about YOU?

James 4:10 (NKJV) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

When the world drives you down, go down on your knees before God and look up. He can lift you up, and will lift you up. He will defeat the enemy. Pray!

1 Peter 5:6 (NASB) … Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand that He might exalt you at the proper time …

Seek Him in prayer. Trust and read His Word. Believe what He has said no matter what the world might say – His Word is truth. Do you remember the precious passage:

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.

The Apostle is quoting Isaiah 64:4 in the Spirit, which says:

Isaiah 64:4 (NKJV) For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, WHO ACTS FOR THE ONE WHO WAITS FOR HIM.

If you love Him, you wait on Him. You seek His face in prayer and adoration. You heed His Word.

Those Who Wait Are Rewarded

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) 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.

A CHICKEN hides from the wind. An EAGLE rides the wind. He stretches his wings and flies, gliding on the wind effortlessly. When the CHRISTIAN waits on God He sends His Spirit to us. Like the wind, the Spirit of God lifts us up, blessing us, taking us high above the cares of this world.

The eagle RESTS upon the wind.

The Christian RESTS upon the Spirit.

The eagle spreads it’s wings to rest.

The Christian spreads the wings of faith to rest.

The eagle RESTS on the wind above the darkness of the earth.

The Christian RESTS on the Spirit far above the fallen world.

The eagle does as it is designed to be blessed.

The Christian does as he is designed to be blessed.

The eagle is seeking prey.

The Christian is seeking the lost.

To WAIT on the Lord does not mean to do NOTHING. The word MOUNT UP is a verb which means “to go forth, ascend, climb, rise up”. We RISE UP by serving our God, by doing as He says. We seek His face if we are His, and He promises to renew our strength, to empower us, to give us victory over our enemies.

Pastor W.A. Criswell said:

“For those who wait upon the Lord, there abides a certain victory: the glory, the good thing, the best thing that is yet to come for those who wait upon the Lord. This same great preacher Isaiah, in 64:4, says: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.” Listen to Habakkuk: “The vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; it will surely come . . . ” [Habakkuk 2:3]. And Daniel 12:12: “Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” They that wait upon the Lord shall achieve a certain victory. God hath prepared for them – some better and more precious thing.”

Victory is ours in Him and Him alone. He is our God, and He is able! May God touch your hearts with His Word.