Isaiah 40:31 - Keep In Step And In Tune With The Lord

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.]
Isa 40:31 (KJV)

It has been a common and popular opinion that the eagle lives and retains
his rigour to a great age; and that, beyond the common lot of other birds,
he moults in his old age, and renews his feathers, and with them his youth.
(Adam Clarke Commentary)

If God's people completely rely on God, he will give new strength. They will
sprout fresh feathers and soar almost effortlessly like an eagle. [Jamieson,
Fausset, And Brown Commentary]

The "eagle" is a common metaphor for strength. God's strength is available
for all who wait in patience for God's purposes to be carried out.
[Believer's SB]

As eagles. One of the most magnificent sights of the wild is an eagle
soaring in the sky, higher and higher, with seemingly little effort.
Similarly, the child of God who draws his strength from above is enabled to
go ever onward and upward, always reaching new heights . . . Higher and
still higher. [SDA Commentary]

As we face difficult issues in our recovery, we will find that sometimes we
need to sit tight and wait on God, and other times we need to get up and
take action, trusting Him for strength.  How did Moses know when to get
moving? God told him.  But Moses would have heard nothing if he hadn't been
staying in constant contact with God.  [Life Recovery Devotional SB]

We who live in His presence can find fresh motivation and endurance as we
recognize His complete lordship and plan our lives according to His will for
us. [Disciple SB]

Remember that prayer is the source of your strength.  A worker cannot gain
success while he hurries through his prayers and rushes away to look after
something that he fears may be neglected or forgotten.  He gives only a few
hurried thoughts to God; he does not take time to think, to pray, to wait
upon the Lord for a renewal of physical and spiritual strength.  He soon
becomes weary. He does not feel the uplifting, inspiring influence of God's
Spirit.  He is not quickened by fresh life.  His jaded frame and tired brain
are not soothed by personal contact with Christ.  7T243

He liberally grants all they need for their constant progress and spiritual
attainment, provided they trustingly wait upon him in expectation and
prayer. [Wycliffe Bible Commentary]

If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall; but
having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all
difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in
Christ Jesus. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Renew their strength. The Christian life is a constant process of receiving
from God and giving to God. . . He who does not continue to receive strength
from God will soon find himself in a position where he is unable to serve
God. [SDA Commentary]

Acknowledged weakness is the first step in receiving God's enabling power.
Those who feel strong in themselves do not reach out with expectancy for
God's power. In our sense of weakness and need God has opportunity to
strengthen us. When we receive God's strength, we soar like eagles and run
like champions on God's mission. We then give God the glory for all He
accomplishes through us. [Disciple SB]

God is able to deliver and restore his distressed people if they will wait
in faith for him to act. They are to trust in him and draw strength from
him. [NIV SB]

Wait upon the Lord. That is, look to the Lord. [SDA Commentary]

Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael, founding the Ishamaelite and Arab
peoples.  This occurred because Sarah ran ahead of God, trying to fulfill
what was promised - an heir.  But our God is a sovereign God. There are
practical lessons to be learned from Sarah and Hagar: it is foolish to act
hastily in times of trial and difficulty; it is prudent to watch for God's
care over the lonely; it is clear that there is Divine purpose in the life
of everyone, no matter how obscure or friendless; and in the midst of
hardship and trouble, God brings strength, comfort, and encouragement. Are
you growing weary of waiting on God? Don't fall to the temptation of Sarah,
running ahead of God and creating trouble. Make a new decision to wait on
the Lord today, He is faithful and will not let you down. [In His Time; Walk
With Wisdom re Gen.16:1,2]

We all want to recover as quickly as possible. It's hard to be patient as we
wait for the process to work. Sure, we realize that we didn't get to the
difficult spot we are in overnight. We understand that we cannot undo a
lifetime of damage in a moment. But still, it is a challenge to wait
patiently. Every part of our recovery requires time and patience. This step
also requires that we learn to wait for God.
The prophet Isaiah gave us this promise: "They that wait upon 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" (Isaiah 40:31).
Jeremiah said, "The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to
those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25-26).
Waiting for the Lord has its rewards. We can remain calm when it appears
that nothing is happening in our recovery. As we learn to respond to life in
new ways, the winds of adversity will lift us up, like wind beneath the
wings of an eagle, instead of knocking us down. As we develop a patient
faith in God we will be able to endure to the end of the race and win. [Life
Recovery SB]

David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord.  He had been
anointed king at age 16, but didn't become king until he was 30.  During the
interim, he was chased through the wilderness by jealous King Saul.  Later,
after becoming king, he was chased by his rebellious son Absalom.  David had
to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promise to reign.
Waiting on God is not easy.  Often it seems that he isn't answering our
prayers or doesn't understand the urgency of our situation.  That kind of
thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair.  But God is
worth waiting for.  Isa.40:27-31 calls us to wait because often God uses
waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us.  Make good use of your waiting
times by discovering what God may be trying to teach you in them.  [Life
Application SB]

These are strange words to try and apply to our lives in the '90s!  No one
waits for anything or anyone!  We are all in the fast lane doing our own
thing! To wait upon Him takes strength and courage: strength of character to
"will" to wait, and courage to do what others do not. To do something that
has eternal significance, it must be done through the power of the Holy
Spirit, not logic or emotion.  To move out in service of any kind, and do it
in the flesh will profit us nothing. When we come to understand that His
ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, it will become
easier to wait for the Lord. Have you experienced times in your own life
when you should have waited for the Lord and didn't?  Did you learn the
lesson well, or will you have to suffer again?  Most of us will not come to
an understanding of this vital truth without many failures.  But be
encouraged to keep on trying, and WAIT FOR THE LORD!  [In His Time; Walk
With Wisdom]

The eagle is the king of birds, it soars the highest into the heavens.
Believers are to live a heavenly life, in the very Presence and Love and Joy
of God. They are to live where God lives; they need strength to rise
there....
You know how the eagles are taught the use of their wings.... See high up a
ledge on the rock, where there is an eagle's nest with its treasure of two
young eagles. See the mother bird . . . with her beak push the timid birds
over the precipice. See how they flutter and fall and sink toward the depth.
See now . . . how . . . she spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth
them on her wings, and so, as they ride upon her wings, brings them to a
place of safety....
You fear and tremble, as all your strength fails, and you feel utterly weary
and helpless.... All He asks is that you should sink down in your weariness
and wait on Him; and allow Him in His Jehovah-strength to carry you as you
ride upon the wings of His Omnipotence. (Andrew Murray) [Spirit Filled Life
Devotional SB]

Dear Child,
I watch you laboring and fretting and anxiously striving to achieve things
for me and my kingdom.  Hear me.  Your work is not my primary concern.  Your
work is now, has always been, and always will be secondary to your
relationship with me.
What you do will flow out of your relationship with me as irrigation streams
flow out of a deep, clear, powerful river.  The river (the relationship)
will set your motives and supply your strength.  Then your work will flow
forth to honor me.  Any time you allow your work to come ahead of your
relationship with me, you risk working against me and my purposes.
Draw near to me and rest.  Seek my will at every small turn.  Listen for my
voice.  Be filled with my Spirit.  Then work with joy and abandon!  The
Source of your power, God [PostCards from Heaven by Claire Cloninger]