Wait Upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:25-31)

Wait Upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:25-31)

 

25. 거룩하신 이가 이르시되 그런즉 너희가 나를 누구에게 비교하여 나를 그와 동등하게 하겠느냐 하시니라

25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy one.

 

26. 너희는 눈을 높이 들어 누가 이 모든 것을 창조하였나 보라 주께서는 수효대로 만상을 이끌어 내시고 그들의 모든 이름을 부르시나니 그의 권세가 크고 그의 능력이 강하므로 하나도 빠짐이 없느니라26 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.

 

27. 야곱아 어찌하여 네가 말하며 이스라엘아 네가 이르기를 내 길은 여호와께 숨겨졌으며 내 송사는 내 하나님에게서 벗어난다 하느냐27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

 

28. 너는 알지 못하였느냐 듣지 못하였느냐 영원하신 하나님 여호와, 땅 끝까지 창조하신 이는 피곤하지 않으시며 곤비하지 않으시며 명철이 한이 없으시며 28 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. 피곤한 자에게는 능력을 주시며 무능한 자에게는 힘을 더하시나니29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

 

30. 소년이라도 피곤하며 곤비하며 장정이라도 넘어지며 쓰러지되 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

 

31. 오직 여호와를 앙망하는 자는 새 힘을 얻으리니 독수리가 날개 치며 올라감 같을 것이요 달음박질하여도 곤비하지 아니하겠고 걸어가도 피곤하지 아니하리로다 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.

 

Isaiah 40 tells us about two things that tire us and how we can gain new strength. When we talk about being "tired" in this passage, it is referring to spiritual weariness.

 

Physical exhaustion can be alleviated and treated with rest and medical care, but spiritual weariness affects our minds, bodies, and spirits. It can be said that spiritual exhaustion is more dangerous than physical exhaustion. Today we will take a look at what gives us new strength to overcome such weariness: God's love and grace.

 

A) Who is "God"?

 

In verse 25, God asks the Israelites, "25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy one." In other words, He is stating that there is no other being in this universe like Him.

 

Verse 26 continues, "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."

 

The one thing we must always remember as we live our lives is God. Today's scripture emphasizes the importance of remembering that He is our creator. The Bible reminds of this many times. We must look to God, remember Him, and remember that He is our ultimate creator throughout every moment of our lives.

 

God commands that we see His creations all around us and remember Him, our Living God.

 

B) God's People Misunderstand Him

 

However, in verse 27, we see that there is a misunderstanding among the Israelites about God, "27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?"

 

This grievance and misunderstanding is one we have seen through every generation in the Bible. God's people, regardless of their place and time in history, lament, "Why doesn't God hear me? Why won't He answer me?" In other words, "Why doesn't God let things go my way?" I am certain there are many of us here today who have said this same thing.

 

When we pray to God but things do not happen the way we hoped or wanted, we inevitably start to feel a sense of uncertainty, doubt, or even betrayal. However, we must remember that God always answers our prayers and he does so in four ways: 1.Yes 2.No 3.Wait 4.Instead I will... We have to remember that just because things happen differently from how we want it doesn't mean God doesn't answer our prayers.

 

Here are some examples:

 

Example 1: There was a man who was said to have good faith living in a village. one day a storm came and a flood was wiping out everything in its path. The man started praying to God, asking to be saved. A neighbor came by and said to the man, "Hurry! Come with us to high ground!"

 

The man replied, "God will save me," and sent the people away. A little while later, a policeman showed up and said, "Hurry and get into our boat! We can take you to safety." Again the man replied, "God will save me," and sent the policeman away.

 

But the waters continued to rise and eventually the man died. In heaven, the man went to God and exclaimed, "God! How could you do this to me? I have been faithful to you and prayed through the flood believing you'd save me." To this God replied, "I heard your prayers and sent to you your neighbor and a policeman to take you to safety." "That was you???"

 

Example 2: A man was walking down a road when he saw a young woman throwing a stick over and over again. When he asked the woman what she was doing she told him that she was throwing the stick to decide which direction she would continue walking. The man then asked why she was doing it again and again. She replied, "I keep throwing it because it won't point in the direction I want to go. I'm waiting for it to show me the direction I want."

 

So often do we, as Christians, do the same thing. We ask God for an answer to our prayers, and when the answer is not the one we wanted, we decide our prayers were never answered or that God made a mistake. Here is one more story.

 

Example 3: A farmer in a village prayed to God asked Him, "God, can you please change the weather to whatever I want for one year?" and God agreed. So for one year the farmer asked God to change the weather to whatever he needed and God did so. It was rainy, sunny, windy, cold, warm, dry, whenever the farmer wanted it to be.

 

Fall came and it was time to harvest their abundant crops. The farmers were all excited and anticipating a bountiful harvest after a year of such ideal weather conditions. But when the farmers harvested their crops, all they found was chaff; there was no grain. The farmer yelled furiously, "God! Where is the grain? Why is there only chaff?!"

 

God replied, "I did everything you asked. I gave you rain, sunlight, and wind whenever you wanted it. But you never asked for grain, did you?" The farmer realized that rather than control things based on his experience to produce the outcome he wants, it is best to leave things to God and let Him reign over everything as He sees best.

 

C) For Strength, Remember Your Creator

 

So, why do we need to remember God our creator? The answer is in verses 28 and 29: "28 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."

 

God is the source of all our strength and power. God is the creator of the Sun, our solar system, our universe. He is almighty and all powerful. He is the God we must remember and turn to at all times. Turn to Him and He, our all powerful God, will provide us with the strength we need. It is a blessing to know that we can always turn to our God the Creator.

 

Take a look at verse 28 and 29 again: "28 ...the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary...29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

 

There are two reasons behind weariness or our faintness. The first reason is sin. Sin causes and brings us tiredness and wears us down. The second reason is because we fail to remember God. If we live life forgetting about our Lord and live according the world's rules and standards, chasing worldly values, and without faith, exhaustion, weariness, desolation, and despair are inevitable. Without God, everything becomes meaningless.

 

Whenever we buy something new, it comes with an instruction manual that tells us how to use it and how to prolong the its life. Even a brand new product can breakdown and become useless with just a few uses if not treated or utilized properly.

 

Like this, God created us and gave us a manual through which we can learn how to use ourselves to our maximum life and potential. Of course this manual is the Bible. If we live according to the Bible, we will find new strength, prolong our lives, and live a healthy and full meaningful life. Are you living your best life like the Bible instructs?

 

The exhaustion we feel in life is not something that can be cured with vitamins or energy drinks. Verse 29 clearly tells us, "29 [God] giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

 

D) What Kind of Strength and Power Does God Give us?

 

Verse 30 tells us, "30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:" Think back to when you were young. You were full of energy, excitement, and ready to take on the world. You felt like you could do anything. But youth is fleeting and everyone grows tired eventually.

 

This sense of exhaustion and meaninglessness is what drives young people to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and even heavier crimes. Youth and strength do not define the quality of one's life. Thus verse 31 tells us, "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."

 

To "wait upon the Lord" means to look to Him and keep your eyes on Him, hope in Him, seek Him, turn to Him. You don't take a glance at Him and that's it. You must wait upon Him like a servant waiting for his master's request or a soldier waiting for their commander's order. Your focus remains on Him. If we live like this, we will have the strength and power of a young person even in our old age.

 

A doctor found that a person's I.Q. increases by 10 points once he/she reaches middle age. In other words, middle-aged people are much more apt and capable of doing things that require wisdom, creativity, and meditation. We take on fewer challenges as we grow older, not because our brains function slower, but because we grow tired and lose the confidence to start something new.

 

Many elderly people may face physical limitations, but their wisdom knows no bounds. If we seek strength and replenishment from God, we can do great things even in our old age. The difference in people of the same old age comes from whether or not they wait upon the Lord and seek strength and guidance from Him.

 

If we wish to find strength in our lives, we must wait upon our almighty God, pray to Him, and love Him wholeheartedly. Walk with God, the Creator who never sleeps nor tires; He will give you new strength. Our own strength, power, abilities, and belongings will only get us so far; turn to our amazing God and trust Him to support you, strengthen you, and guide you to victory. Hallelujah!

 

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