Isaiah 40:31
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
The high cost of fuel is a major concern today. Several years ago a friend of mine pulled confidently into a self-service gas station to fill his diesel powered car. You know what is coming next don’t you—you are right! He was not paying attention, and filled his car with gasoline instead of the diesel it was designed to use.
After paying for his purchase he started his car and confidently placed the vehicle in gear and headed for the exit onto the street. He was suddenly jolted by the engine coughing and choking as if it was going to die. He wisely parked the car and shut it off as soon as possible. Walking back to the pump he had used, he realized his mistake—wrong stuff!
He called for a mechanic who arrived and proceeded to drain all of the bad fuel from the tank, clean out the engine and fill the tank with diesel. Several hours later and many dollars poorer—he was finally on his way. He vowed to pay closer attention the next time he filled his tank.
As this message goes out to the hundreds who will be reading it—it is impossible for me to know what you are facing in your life at this moment. You may be on top of the world with spiritual enthusiasm, or you may be in the pits with Satan hurling his fiery darts at you. Regardless of your circumstance, God knows what octane you need in your tank!
So what is the secret to have our tank filled to the brim? How can we be sure that what we take into our life is that which will make our spiritual engine purr with power? All too often we think we know what we need—what is best for us—only to find that we were wrong.
There are those who turn to self-help books, new age gurus, humanistic logic, worldly counselors, etc., which promise much but deliver little.
When we have the Lord in our life, we need to recognize that He has the power to deal with our needs and to supply exactly what we need and when we need it. News Flash! We do not know what we need or when we will need it. So are we going to trust God or our human emotions? I want to trust God.
Isaiah, speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us the answer. He first of all describes that we lack strength and grow weary. We also are prone to stumble and fall. But God has the solution to these human conditions. Those who hope in the Lord—or as some translations render it—those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.
The renewing is not from us but from Him. The only part we play in all of this is to go to the Lord. It is the Lord’s joy and delight to provide us with power and strength so we may be able to soar over the obstacles of life. Those obstacles in your life may take the form of shattered dreams, broken bodies, fractured relationships or empty tanks.
Can I encourage you today that God wants to fill your life to the full? He takes no delight in depressed and despondent kids who mope around without hope. He wants us to have a tiger in our tank, a smile on our face and a zeal to do His will. Let me ask you, which description best fits you? Let God fill you with His grace and glory today—THE RIGHT STUFF!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and become a real blessing.
— Pastor Cecil