I’ve Run Out of Strength. What Should I Do?

The Greatness and Strength of God

Last week, I preached from a selected passage in Isaiah 40. Tonight, I’ll be doing the same. Later this semester, our small group Bible studies will be reading through the second half of Isaiah – and this is a bit of an introduction to that, I suppose. But as we head into the busy-ness of the Fall, I think that it’s also especially valuable for us to direct our focus to the greatness of God and His Word. Last week, the focus was placed more on the weightiness and enduring worth of God’s Word. Today, we’ll considering more directly the greatness and strength of God himself.

So if you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to Isaiah 40. I’ll be reading from Isaiah, Chapter 40, verses 27 through 31. But before I read our text for us tonight, please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Where Is God When I Need Him?

It’s possible that some of you are here tonight, and you feel like God has forgotten you, or neglected you. And if you don’t feel that way right now, it’s quite likely that you’ve had this feeling before, or that you’ll have it at some point in the future.

And people can feel this way in a variety of different situations – when we’re depressed, when we feel rejected by friends or a community of people, when we’re grieving the loss of a loved one. It could even be a time when you’re personally affected by a bad turn of events, by losing a job, or having an injury, or having your house or property damaged somehow. These are the kinds of the things that can get us to start wondering if God can really be counted on to support his people.

And you can see in our text, Isaiah is speaking to people who are feeling abandoned or forgotten. From what we see in verse 27, the people descended from Jacob – the people of Israel, there’s a group of them who are saying, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God.” The people of Israel, here, are basically saying that God isn’t paying attention to them, and that he’s being unfair – unkind.

It might make you wonder, why are they saying this? Well, it’s interesting to note here, at the time that Isaiah was alive, most people around him weren’t saying this. The Kingdom of the Jews – the southern kingdom of the Israelites – it was still standing strong. God still seemed near, and life still seemed good. But God had revealed through Isaiah that this wasn’t going to continue. The kingdom of Judah was going to fall, and the people of Israel were going to be killed or carried away into foreign countries, into exile. And so Isaiah actually wasn’t writing to his own generation, here. But he was writing to the next generation – he was writing for future people, and the distress he knew they would feel.

But the issue that Isaiah speaks to – it’s a timeless issue. It was, of course, especially relevant to the Jews who had been taken into exile. But this text is relevant to people today, as well. Because people today continue to think that their way is hidden from the LORD, or that he’s disregarding them.

And so it’s worth asking here, how does Isaiah respond to this complaint? When people like you and I are convinced that God has disappeared, or that he’s disinterested – what are we supposed to know? What are we supposed to hear?

In our text, Isaiah draws attention to three things about God that are intended to quiet our complaints and fortify our faith. Three things. First, Isaiah reminds us of God’s identity – who he is. Second, Isaiah describes God’s attributes – what he’s like. And then Isaiah tells us about God’s activities – what he does. So these will be my three points as I work through the text, and then I’ll wrap up by explaining the practical significance that all this has for you and me as we look to God for strength.

God’s Identity

So, first, Isaiah reminds us of God’s identity. He asks the Israelites, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” Now, Isaiah is aware, he’s not telling them new information. These are things that the Israelites have already heard about before. But the problem is that whenever we complain about God, and how far away he seems, that’s actually evidence that that there are basic things about God that we’re forgetting or failing to understand.

And so Isaiah sets out to remind his readers about who God is. And you might expect that Isaiah would say something here about God’s nearness to the broken-hearted, or something of that sort. But that’s not what Isaiah says here. Instead, he describes God’s identity with two descriptions. He says, “The LORD is the everlasting God,” and he also says that the LORD is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” So why are those things relevant here?

Well, I think one of the things that Isaiah wants us to remember, is that God operates at a level that’s much higher than ours. He’s the everlasting God. He has no beginning or end. If you go back into the past, further and further forever – you’ll never find a moment when God wasn’t there. And if you go into the future, for ten million ages, God will be there, too, just the same. He’s permanent, unmovable, and absolute. There’s a heaviness and holiness to God, that puts everything else in existence to shame.

And if we aren’t humbled before the greatness of this God, then we’re likely to come to wrong conclusions about what God owes us, or how we think God should run the world. We might think too much of our own strength, and too little of God’s.

Just imagine, for a moment, a bunch of middle school football players – they’re the star athletes of school. And it’s getting to their head. They think way too much of themselves. And the coach can tell, it’s affecting their attitudes. And so one day after school, the coach calls them out to the practice field for a scrimmage. And when they come out on the field, the scrimmage is way more intense than they bargained for. The coach has set up the scrimmage with football players from the NFL. And immediately these middle school boys – they don’t feel so great anymore. It forces them to realize, they aren’t masters of the game after all.

And Isaiah’s doing something similar here, to deal with us in our wrong perception of self and God. He’s humbling us before God’s timeless greatness. He’s raising the question, “Who are you to question God and his motives? What right do you have to challenge the everlasting God, and to find fault with him?”

But of course, by referring to the LORD as the everlasting God, this also reminds us – we can’t expect God to operate according to our personal timelines. Sure, we may not see God bringing an answer to our cries for help right now. But who’s to say he won’t do it tomorrow? Or perhaps God’s plan is to grant you your prayer in two 2 weeks, or two years, or two decades. It’s not our place to know. But what we should know is that God’s timeline isn’t always the same as ours.

We may get impatient. We might feel like certain deadlines need to be met. We might feel like our time is limited. But God isn’t constrained by these things. And this should make us all the more willing to worship and trust him – even when he doesn’t do exactly what we want, when we want it.

But notice, Isaiah also identifies God as the Creator of the ends of the earth. And this confirms to us the limitlessness of God. He’s unlimited in his authority. He’s God over the entirety of the world, not just over this little plot of land where Fellowship Reformed Church meets in Mount Pleasant, MI. No, he reigns over all things, everywhere. Because He made it all. It’s all for him – to the very ends of the earth.

And because he made everything – even the uttermost edges of the planet – this also means that there are no hiding places – no places where people aren’t known by God – no places where people are lost or forgotten. We may sometimes feel like we’re in God’s blind spot. But Isaiah wants us to know that the way we feel isn’t accurate. We might be limited in our awareness of what’s going on with God. But the Creator of the ends of the earth isn’t limited in his awareness of us.

God’s Attributes

And this relates, also, to what Isaiah tells us about God’s attributes at the end of verse 28. This is my second main point, dealing with God’s attributes. Isaiah explains that “[God] does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” And so, again, there are two things that Isaiah focuses on here – two attributes.

First, Isaiah points out that God isn’t limited in his strength – he doesn’t faint or grow weary. Again, this may not seem like news to us. But at the time that Isaiah was writing, most of the world around Israel had a very different view of God than we do. Of course, most of the nations believed that there were multiple gods, that were limited geographically, and limited in their strength. Different gods had power in different places, kind of like earthly kings. And in addition to this, most people believed that their gods could fall asleep, or get tired, or lose focus.

But Isaiah is trying to make sure that we have a view of God that’s right. We aren’t talking about a being who’s limited in the same ways that people are. You and I get tired. You and I might collapse in bed and fall asleep for 14 hours. But God never does. He never will.

Now, Isaiah knows that the Israelites will be carried away into exile. It will seem like the LORD has disappeared, or as though he’s been overpowered by the gods of other nations. But Isaiah wants to make sure it’s clear, the reason why Israel has been overpowered and carried into other countries – it’s not because God has fainted. It’s not because God has become weary. But it’s actually because God is in power – because he rules all nations, and he’s directing world events to accomplish his good purposes.

But the second attribute that Isaiah points out, here, is that God isn’t limited in his knowledge – his understanding is unsearchable. In other words, no matter how long you look, no matter how hard you study, God will always have wisdom and knowledge that exceeds ours.

And practically, what this means, is that it’s foolish for us to accuse God of doing something wrong. It’s foolish. Because if we make an accusation like that, we’re basically saying that we know what’s right, and God doesn’t. We’re operating with the presumption that we’re wiser than God. And Isaiah’s just shaking his head, here. There’s no way we’re smarter than God is. His understanding is unsearchable. When it’s truly the right time for God to change our circumstances, and for relief to come – he’s going to come. And God knows when that time is – he knows exactly what’s right.

And so either we can trust God’s unlimited wisdom and knowledge. Or we can arrogantly assume that we know better than God, and we can complain. Those are the two options here – and Isaiah clearly tells us that trusting God is the right option. Frankly, we shouldn’t be surprised to find out that God is smarter than us. And in fact, it should be really comforting that this is the case. And so when life is turned upside down by some sort of tragedy, we don’t have to question whether God is good, or wise, or right. No, we can rest in knowing that his understanding is unsearchable. And we can confidently wait, knowing that God’s plans will ultimately turn out better than our own. We may not see it fully in this life. But certainly, when the old passes away, and the new has fully and finally come, the brilliance of God’s plans will be visible for everyone. We can trust him.

God’s Activities

But in verse 29, Isaiah goes on to describe God’s activities to us. This is my third main point: God’s activities. And one of the things that Isaiah is helping us to see here, is that we’re able to know God, not just by seeing how God is described, but also by considering what God does.

So Isaiah explains that “[God] gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” There are two phrases here, but both of them are essentially saying the same thing. We’ve seen that God is unlimited in his timelessness, unlimited in his authority, unlimited in his power and knowledge – but here Isaiah wants to make sure we see how God uses his unlimited greatness. He uses it to help the weak. He gives power to faint people like us. And to people who have no might – he gives strength.

Now, notice, the text doesn’t say that God takes away all the problems of his people. I think that’s probably what we all would like. I think that Isaiah knows that the people he’s writing to are probably expecting God to do something like that. But please realize, God doesn’t intend to make your life or my life totally painless and easy. In fact, it’s clearly assumed here that God’s people will have problems. Isaiah is speaking to people like us, who are familiar with fatigue and failure. And as we’re stressed out, worn out, and depleted of all our strength, the hope we’re given here is not that God wave a magic wand over our lives, and make everything painless.

Instead, this is the comfort we’re given – that when we’re weak, when we have no might of our own – we have a God who gives us what we need to keep going. He may not give us a week’s worth of groceries today. But he’ll give us our daily bread. His kindness – his grace toward his people – it’s enough for what we need. We can trust him. And from his undefeatable, everlasting strength and wisdom, all of his people – from the greatest man of faith, to the smallest child in the faith – every single one of his people will receive what they need to make it through today, and the day after that, and through every other day that God has appointed for us on this earth. He gives power to the faint. And to him who has no might – who has no strength at all – God gives the increase. He will preserve us, and give us the ability to persevere.

Those Who Wait on the LORD Will Renew Their Strength

So practically, what does this mean for us. What take-home message should we walk away with. Well, Isaiah tells us in verse 30 and 31.

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted” – in other words, none of us are immune from hardship. We’re all weak. We’re all going to feel it at some point. But as verse 31 says, “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Now, be aware, Isaiah is using a good deal of symbolic imagery, here, to communicate his point. He’s not claiming that Christians will be ultra-talented marathon runners who never get tired. That’s not what he’s saying here. But he is saying that the person who waits on the LORD will have a faith in God that never runs out – a faith that presses on, that plods faithfully ahead. Those who wait on the LORD will receive all that they need and more – that’s what Isaiah is saying here.

But waiting on the LORD might seem like a strange idea to some of us. What does that even mean? Probably many of us think of waiting as something that’s very passive – like sitting in a chair at the Secretary of State office, staring blankly at the clock. That might be our perception of waiting. But the Hebrew word for waiting here, means something more than that. It involves expecting something, it involves eager hope of something that’s about to come. There’s a confidence in this waiting.

I suppose it’s kind of like waiting in line at an amusement park. It’s more of an active waiting. You’re actively watching for the line ahead of you to move. You’ll probably find that you’re pressing yourself up close to the people in front of you. You’re excited. You’re eager. There’s an expectation that you’ll find what you’re looking for at the end of the line.

And this is the sort of eagerness and confidence we should have, as we look to the Lord for strength. When we’re stressed and tired and we don’t feel like things have been going well, I can say from personal experience – I’m usually not feeling much in the way of eagerness and confidence. And yet Isaiah urges us to remember who our God is. He’s the everlasting God, the all-powerful Creator, a God who gives power to the faint. And this should give us hope. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

So let’s turn our attention to the Lord together, and let’s ask expectantly for the grace he supplies. Please pray with me: