SPIRITUAL SPINACH
Isaiah 40:27-31
Popeye. What spinach did for Popeye physically is what God can do for us spiritually. Now, I need to incorporate a disclaimer here: just because the Lord is the source of supernatural power doesn’t mean there’s going to be an instantaneous reaction like Popeye after eating a can of spinach; it might be a more of a gradual fill. Regardless, we need it no matter how it comes to us. Let’s see how we can us get some spiritual spinach.
1) God is the source (27-28).
• We can have doubts (27).
The book of Isaiah is divided into two parts. The first 39 chapters deal with impending judgment, and the second part deals with forgiveness and deliverance. Isaiah is writing prophetically regarding the coming Babylonian captivity. The Israelites were frustrated because God hadn’t rescued them yet. They were no doubt also fearful, having gone astray, that perhaps God wasn’t going to rescue them. And after a while they were thinking that God didn't care anymore and therefore he wasn't going to do anything to help them. We can feel that way too sometimes; especially if we've disobeyed God and if we've asked for help and it hasn't arrived.
The chapter starts out by declaring comfort for God’s people. 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” As we read on we see how God will provide comfort for his people. His care and concern over our welfare is a comfort for us. His power, ability and strength are a comfort to us. God’s supplication of these things to us when we are weak and weary is a great comfort to us.
• But we shouldn’t (28).
Asking rhetorical questions to which the answer is yes, we do know and yes we have heard but yet we are acting as if we hadn’t. So the question is-where is our faith? Why do we complain that God isn’t doing anything? Why do we think he won’t help us? Why do we have doubts?
Luke 18:1-8, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
We see that if we are persistent in prayer it means we continue to believe he can do what we asked. This judge gave in because he was concerned about getting worn out. God is not like that. He will not get weary with our coming to him neither can we wear him down until he gives in. So, we can keep coming to him with what’s on our heart and until he makes it clear the answer is ‘no’ we should not give up.
“His understanding no one can fathom”. We, as finite beings, can’t claim to know the infinite mind of God. We shouldn't think that we know what's right and best. We have a limited view and a limited capacity for analyzing and problem solving. Who are we to think we should dictate how things should go to an all-knowing, all-powerful God? He is the creator-not us. He has dominion over everything-not us. We need to have humility and patience. Things like faith and trust, humility and patience will keep us strong.
2) Spiritual spinach (29-31).
• Strength to the weary (29-30).
Since God is full of spiritual spinach he is the only one who can give us spiritual spinach. The fact is we all get weary and weak. When we realize that (because there are times we are unwilling to) and when we acknowledge that God is the one who can help us, he will strengthen and empower us.
Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”.
“Come to me”. Jesus is the one who can ease our burdens and release our stress.
“Rest for your souls”. We see here that Jesus isn’t talking about being weary and burdened physically but spiritually. When we’re weary physically we need physical rest and rejuvenation. But when we’re weary spiritually we need spiritual rest and rejuvenation.
Before we come to Christ our soul are in a state of unrest. There is chaos and frustration; no peace. Within the sinful nature there is worry, fear and doubt. Within the sinful nature there is discontent, a lack of fulfillment; a void.
But even after we come to Christ we can struggle with such things from time to time. We will have times where we need rest for our souls. This is where we go off to a quiet place and meditate and pray. If it was important for Jesus himself to get away once in a while who are we to think we can get by without it?
But even though Jesus was talking about rest for our souls there can be an interesting connection between the two. When we’re emotionally, psychologically or spiritually weary it can physically wear us out and quite often vice versa. So, it’s important to know that Jesus is the one who can give us the rest we need all around; he can revitalize us through and through.
30: Unexpected weariness. Even the ones who have the most energy get weary; even the ones who are strong and vibrant stumble and fall. It shows that everyone is human and is subject to becoming weak. I don’t care how strong you are, how fit you are, how smart you are, how capable you are-you are able to do and take only so much; we have our human limitations. This shows that even the best of us wear down. Our human strength can only take us so far and human strength can only accomplish so much.
And it’s true from a spiritual perspective too. The ones who are spiritually mature get weary at times. Even those who are stable are still capable of stumbling and falling. The point is that when we’re physically, mentally, or spiritually weary we need God’s spinach.
• Hope in the Lord (31a).
“But”. This is a good but. There are some buts that are not too nice like, “I think you’re a nice guy but…I’m just not that into you.” This is a nice but. Isaiah is stating the inevitable followed with a reason for hope. “You will become weary and weak but if your hope is in the Lord you will become strong again.” If my hope is in who? The Lord.
Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”
If our hope is in ourselves or other people or things as a source of strength we will end up greatly disappointed. If we trust in anything else it will fail. If we look to any other source we will end-up completely depleted.
Jesus said come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you (come under my control if you want rest for your souls). It only works if we are under the Lordship of Christ. Our strength will be renewed when our hope is in the Lord. It makes perfect sense since he is the source of endless power. When we’re depleted the Lord’s Spirit charges us up again. His word, like what we’re looking at today, encouragers and motivates us to get moving again. His Spirit ministers to us and revitalizes us. When he works through fellow believers it sharpens us and spurs us on; giving us the motivation we need to press on.
Since God never grows tired he is an endless source of power to renew our strength-even if we need to be renewed 100 times a day. Look what we will be able to do when our hope is in the Lord.
• Soar like an eagle (31b).
He could’ve picked any bird to illustrate his point so why an eagle? Adam Clarke’s commentary, “It has been a common and popular opinion that the eagle lives and retains his vigor to a great age; and that, beyond the common lot of other birds, he molts [sheds his feathers like a snake his skin] in his old age, and renews his feathers, and with them his youth. ‘Thou shalt renew thy youth like the eagle,’ says the psalmist, Ps 103:5.”
Renew can also mean exchange which makes sense in the depiction of the molting eagle exchanging his old feathers for new ones. God exchanges our vastly inferior strength with his and we are renewed in that strength. We know, since the bald eagle is America’s bird, that the eagle is a majestic bird. A strong and powerful bird destined for greatness.
There was a young boy who spent the summer with his grandfather. As he and his grandfather were out in the field one day they found a small bird. It was strange looking and they didn’t know what it was at first. They named him Ernie and took him home to show to grandma. Grandma put him with a mother hen and her brood of chicks.
As it turned out, Ernie was an Eaglet. It wasn’t long until Ernie was larger than the chickens, and it was apparent he was different — even though he had picked up some of the mannerisms of the chickens.
But one sunny afternoon the father eagle saw Ernie eating corn down on the farm with some strange white birds. The father eagle began to soar in circles above the farm, and then began to spiral downward while calling out for Ernie. Ernie’s head lifted as he heard something that resonated deep within him. Instinctively he began to spread his wings. Suddenly he was flying, and he began to soar in response to his father’s call. Ernie had within him the spirit of an eagle.
The chicks heard the father eagle’s call as well but they only chirped in response and continued to eat their corn. But Ernie had a higher calling. He was destined to soar. As Christians we have a higher calling too. We aren’t meant to stay on the ground; we are destined to soar.
• Run and not grow weary (31c).
This made me think of what happened with Elijah. After Elijah had been shown the power of the Lord when he took care of the prophets of Baal he got scared at Jezebel’s death threat and took off. He reached a point where he was weak and weary. He actually wanted to die. An angel appeared to him with some heavenly food and 1st Kings 19:8 says that he was so strengthened by that food he traveled 40 days and nights. When God strengthens us we will be able to do some pretty amazing things. Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me.”
This doesn’t mean we can do everything by ourselves and we don’t need to ask for help. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set boundaries or recognize our limitations. But, because we have been given spiritual spinach we can do more than we ever thought possible.
• Walk and not grow faint (31d).
One aspect of being faint is when we’re faint of heart. God also encourages the faint of heart. Oftentimes when we’re faced with a challenge it can be pretty scary. We can be timid; apprehensive to take the leap of faith. That’s where we need some help.
Someone once asked a paratrooper how many times he had jumped out of the plane while he was in the military. He said, “None.” His friend said, “What do you mean, ‘none,’ I thought you were a paratrooper?” He said, “I was, but I never jumped. I was pushed several times... but I never jumped.” Sometimes we need a little shove to get us going.
When we’re afraid of the challenge, when we’re timid to come out of our comfort zone God will provide a loving nudge. When the task seems insurmountable God will show us that through him we are capable of handling anything that comes our way.
Paul told Timothy that God does not give us a spirit of timidity but of power. Timothy was young but being asked to take on a leadership role no doubt expected of someone older. But Paul knew Timothy was gifted and he knew that the time was right, regardless of age, to fan that gift into flame. But Timothy had some concerns and needed to be encouraged. Whenever God puts us in a challenging position taking a step into new and unfamiliar territory is going to be intimidating. But we can be encouraged to know that our God will equip us to meet that challenge. As the saying goes, “God doesn’t call the equipped he equips the called.”
That’s what’s happening now in our situation here at Cornerstone. We have been placed in a challenging and intimidating position and are being asked to come out of our comfort zones. In order for the eagle to be able to soar he has to leave the comfort of the nest.
The following is from a publication called, Today in the Word, “Though many of us have seen pictures of a huge eagle’s nest high in the branches of a tree or in the crag of a cliff, few of us have gotten a glimpse inside. When a mother eagle builds her nest she starts with thorns, broken branches, sharp rocks, and a number of other items that seem entirely unsuitable for the project. But then she lines the nest with a thick padding of wool, feathers, and fur from animals she has killed, making it soft and comfortable for the eggs.
By the time the growing birds reach flying age, the comfort of the nest and the luxury of free meals make them quite reluctant to leave. That’s when the mother eagle begins "stirring up the nest." With her strong talons she begins pulling up the thick carpet of fur and feathers, bringing the sharp rocks and branches to the surface. As more of the bedding gets plucked up, the nest becomes more uncomfortable for the young eagles. Eventually, this and other urgings prompt the growing eagles to leave their once-comfortable abode and move on to more mature behavior.”
We don’t have to be afraid because we have a God who knows everything and can do anything and will give us his spiritual spinach when we’re weak.
Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
In the essence of our weakness we can see how great the strength of God is and how grateful we can be that he has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. So we boast not of our own strength but of our great God who gives us strength. We need strength to get through difficult situations and not lose hope. We need strength to resist temptation. We need strength to deal with persecutions and sufferings. We need strength to continue to do the Lord’s work when we feel like giving up.
Gal. 6:9-10, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Let’s not ever get tired of doing God’s will. It’s not always easy and there are times we will need a recharge, but may we never become weary in doing good. As long as we look to the Lord to give us his spiritual spinach we will continue to persevere in strength and power; soaring on wings like eagles.
