There are times when we simply run out of strength.
We can be physically tired, emotionally drained, spiritually discouraged, or overwhelmed by circumstances we cannot change. Sometimes we are tired because life has been difficult. Other times, we are tired because we have been trying to carry things God never intended us to carry alone.
Isaiah gives us a wonderful reminder: God never runs out of strength.
“The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”
— Isaiah 40:28 NLT
Think about that.
We get tired. God does not.
We become discouraged. God does not.
We don’t know what to do. God does.
Our strength has limits. His strength does not.
And the amazing thing is that the God who never grows weak gives His strength to those who do.
God Gives Strength to the Weak
Isaiah continues:
“He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.”
— Isaiah 40:29 NLT
God doesn’t wait for us to become strong before He helps us.
He meets us in our weakness.
We sometimes think we need to get ourselves together before we can come to God. But Scripture teaches the opposite. Our weakness is not a reason to stay away from God—it is a reason to run toward Him.
When we say, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own,” we are not admitting defeat. We are recognizing where our true source of strength comes from.
Paul discovered this when God told him:
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
God’s strength becomes especially evident when we realize how much we need Him.
Even the Strong Get Tired
Isaiah makes an important observation:
“Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.”
— Isaiah 40:30 NLT
Youth brings energy. Experience brings wisdom. Discipline brings endurance. But none of these things make us unlimited.
Eventually, everyone gets tired.
You can be young and exhausted.
You can be experienced and discouraged.
You can be gifted and overwhelmed.
You can love God deeply and still become weary.
Being tired does not necessarily mean you have failed God.
Sometimes it simply means you are human.
The question is not whether we will ever become weary. The question is where we will turn when we do.
The Secret Is Learning to Trust
Then comes one of the great promises of Scripture:
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.”
— Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Notice that Isaiah doesn’t say those who are naturally strong will find new strength.
He doesn’t say those who have everything figured out.
He says those who trust in the Lord.
Trust means we stop believing that everything depends on us.
We pray.
We surrender.
We wait.
We obey what God has already told us to do.
And we place the things we cannot control into His hands.
Trust doesn’t mean we become passive. It means we stop trying to be God.
God Gives Us Strength for the Next Step
Isaiah uses three beautiful pictures:
“They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Notice that there are different seasons represented here.
Sometimes God enables us to soar.
There are moments when His presence lifts us above our circumstances. We see things differently. Faith rises. Hope returns. We experience His strength in a remarkable way.
Sometimes God enables us to run.
There are seasons when life demands energy, perseverance and determination. We have things to accomplish and responsibilities to fulfill. God gives us strength to keep moving.
And sometimes God simply helps us walk.
This may be the most important one.
Not every season is a soaring season.
Sometimes there is no dramatic breakthrough. There is simply another day, another step, another decision to trust God.
And God gives us enough strength to take that next step.
Walk and don’t faint.
Don’t Confuse Waiting with Doing Nothing
The phrase “those who trust in the Lord” is sometimes translated “those who wait on the Lord.”
Biblical waiting isn’t sitting around doing nothing.
It is actively trusting God while we wait for Him to work.
We continue praying.
We continue obeying.
We continue worshiping.
We continue serving.
We continue believing.
And while we wait, God is doing something inside us.
He is teaching us that His timing is trustworthy, His wisdom is greater than ours, and His strength is sufficient for us.
Your Strength Is Not the Point
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons in this passage is that God doesn’t promise that we will never become weak.
He promises that He will meet us in our weakness.
You may feel tired today.
You may be carrying a burden that nobody else knows about.
You may be facing a situation where you don’t know what to do next.
You may be wondering how you will have enough strength for tomorrow.
Remember Isaiah’s words:
The Lord is everlasting.
He never grows weak or weary.
His understanding has no limits.
He gives power to the weak.
He gives strength to the powerless.
And those who trust in Him will find new strength.
So don’t give up because you are tired.
Don’t be ashamed of your weakness.
Don’t try to manufacture strength that you don’t have.
Turn to the One who has an unlimited supply.
Trust Him.
Wait for Him.
Draw your strength from Him.
And then take the next step.
Perhaps today you will soar.
Perhaps today you will run.
Or perhaps today you will simply walk.
But if you are walking with God, you don’t have to walk alone.
A Prayer
Lord, I confess that my strength is limited, but Yours is not. When I become tired, discouraged or overwhelmed, help me to stop trying to carry everything myself. Teach me to trust You, wait for You and draw my strength from You. Give me power when I am weak and courage to take the next step. Help me to soar when You lift me, run when You give me strength, and walk faithfully when the journey is difficult. I trust You today. Amen.
