Great Messages Of Encouragement #2: Strength To The Weary

Last week we started a series on ‘Great Messages of Encouragement’ in Scripture.

Today we’re going to look at a great message of encouragement in Isaiah. It’s at the end of Isaiah 40. Isaiah writes:

“He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but 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” [Isaiah 40:29-31]

It’s a wonderful promise, isn’t it?

I don’t know if you’ve noticed advertisements for Vitabiotics products. They seem to be all over the place, offering to give energy release, health and vitality. As I was preparing for this lesson, I learned a new word. Foods which give health benefits – such as vitamin and mineral supplements – are called ‘nutraceuticals.’ The nutraceutical industry has grown fivefold since 2000 and is now worth about £180 billion per year. Wow! Gyms and the fitness industry generally have also grown enormously. People want to renew their strength! But how? Are Vitabiotics and gyms the way to go?

Let’s go back to last week. I took the first message of encouragement from the end of Deuteronomy.

The people of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, and Moses, their leader for the past 40 years, wouldn’t go with them. Joshua would take over from him. But Moses assured the people that God would be with them and give them victory and they would take possession of the land.

But there was a condition. Moses told the people, ‘For the Lord will … take delight in prospering you… WHEN YOU OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD … WHEN YOU TURN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL’ [Deuteronomy 30:9b,10]. According to Moses, there’s a direct connection between a people turning to God and God giving them success.

The next book in the Bible after Deuteronomy is Joshua. It tells the story of the people of Israel entering Canaan and taking possession of it. What happened? First of all, the waters of the Jordan opened up for the Israelites to cross. An amazing miracle! The people then came to Jericho. They marched around the city seven times and the walls fell down. Another amazing miracle! God was clearly with the people of Israel. But then, Israel was defeated by the small city of Ai. What had gone wrong? The leaders started to investigate. Before long they found the answer. One man had taken some plunder for himself. If you’re going to go to war, your motives must be pure. You can’t go to war for personal gain. God wasn’t pleased.

So, the Book of Joshua endorses what Moses had told the people. Obey God, turn to God, and God will prosper you. Do the opposite and you can expect defeat.

Maybe this seems a bit simplistic to you. Surely the wicked often prosper? Well, yes, they do. And the Bible knows that. Psalm 73 is a great example. The psalmist observes that the wicked do prosper – but then he realises that it’s only for a time. And surely the righteous sometimes suffer? Well, yes, that’s true and the Bible knows that too. That’s the point of Job. These things don’t negate the point. God will be with us and God will give us success. But the promise is for people who obey God and turn to him.

We’re now going to move forward many hundred years to the time of Isaiah.

Let’s catch up with what had happened. The people of Israel occupied Canaan. Under David and Solomon Israel became a strong nation. But it then split into two parts: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Both Israel and Judah progressively turned away from God.

Assyria expanded, invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and deported its people. The northern kingdom of Israel disappears from the picture.

Assyria now turns its attention to the southern kingdom of Judah. This is approximately the point when Isaiah enters the scene. What happens next is told in Isaiah 36 to 39.

Assyria invades Judah and captures most of it. It advances on Jerusalem. But Hezekiah, king of Judah, prays to God. God hears Hezekiah’s prayer and tells him that he will defend this city to save it. God sends an angel; the angel strikes down a huge number of Assyrians and the Assyrians leave.

Hezekiah then falls ill. Envoys come from Babylon to pay him a visit. After their visit, Isaiah asks Hezekiah, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ Hezekiah says, ‘I showed them everything.’ What were you thinking, Hezekiah!? Isaiah then tells Hezekiah ‘The time will … come when everything in your palace … will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left.’