He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But 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 (Isaiah 40:29–31, KJV).
We have so much more today than we did hundreds of years ago. Even still, mankind is no better off. In fact, the hearts of man are becoming worse and worse and strong youths are becoming weak. Isaiah reminds us that no matter how strong we are mentally or physically, we will become weak. No matter how hard we try, we will find failure.
But, there is a difference between those who wait on the Lord and those who just “exist” in this life. What has the ability to plague us can’t anymore when we’re in the presence of the Lord! The word “wait” means to expect, look for, and hope in Him. When we’re without God it’s different than when we’re with God. When Jesus is on our side there’s no weapon that’s formed against us that can prosper.
Jesus didn’t just come to treat our symptoms or just the “result” of the sin in our life. He is the Great Physician; He came to completely change us. His one main plan for our lives is to change us to be like Him. If we’re in Christ, we’re a new creature; all things are passed away and all things become new.
Power was promised to God’s people all throughout Scripture. Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem so they would be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). Once they received the power of the Holy Ghost, they would become witnesses for Him all throughout the world (Acts 1:8). Paul said he would glory in his infirmities so the power of Christ could rest on Him. The bottom line: we need more of the Holy Ghost. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, he preached the necessity of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). If we expect and look for the power of the Holy Ghost, we will receive strength and power in our lives!
When Jesus met the woman at the well, He told her if she drank of His living water, she would never thirst again. We must drink of His water, His power, and His Holy Ghost and we will be changed. We’ll have those rivers flowing from us (John 7:38)!
It’s not enough just to have the Holy Ghost. We need to stir it up (II Timothy 1:6). When we find ourselves distraught or in the middle of a situation, we can’t look for answers or peace in the world. Our answer is not in anything else but in more of the Holy Ghost! We’ve got it in us, we just need to stir it up! Paul encouraged the church to fan the flame of the Holy Ghost and keep it going. We can’t let it die. If we stir up the gift in us, it just might stir up the gift in someone else.
We need more power because Jesus says we need more. We need more power because there’s more that Jesus wants to give us! Most of us limit what the Spirit does in our lives because we we can’t envision it. But Scripture tells us Jesus is able to do abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20)! Be encouraged today and get the fire of the Holy Ghost moving in your life.
We will never accomplish spiritual efforts with fleshly means. Isaiah warns that the most powerful, the most energetic people will naturally fall. When Moses was growing up in the palace of Pharaoh, he killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and buried him in the sand. He acted out of his own motives and wound up fleeing as a fugitive. In the backside of the desert, he could have been dismissive of himself thinking he messed up and he couldn’t do anything for God. But, he had to come in contact with the fire (Exodus 3:1–4). Once he encountered God at the burning bush, he was given power and authority to go back to Egypt and lead the deliverance of God’s chosen people. He would not go alone—God would go with Him.
We can be tired in our human strength, lack ability in our human capability, but God will send the power. He will equip us to go and conquer every trial in this life. Let’s pray today that God helps us see after the power, seek after the fire.