Bible Reading: Isaiah 40:27-31
Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. … He gives power to those who are tired and worn out. Isaiah 40:28-29
IF YOU’RE LIKE most people, you eat at least three meals a day, right? Have you ever thought about where the power comes from to chew all that food? Much of it comes from a muscle in your jaw called the orbicularis oris. But you already knew that, right?
And you’ve certainly opened a window at one time or another, haven’t you? Where did you get the power to do that? Most of it came from muscles in your arms called biceps.
And you’ve climbed a staircase, haven’t you? Well, you got the power to do that mainly from the rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles in your upper legs.
You get the power to do sit-ups from the muscles in your belly (rectus abdominis), and you get the power to lift heavy things from a group of muscles (deltoids, pectoralis majors, biceps).
Amazing, isn’t it? You’ve been doing all that stuff for years, but you probably never knew where the power came from, did you?
Well, if you’re a Christian, you also have the power to persevere. You have the power to do right, even when it’s hard. You have the power to keep going, even when you’re tired. You have the power to work hard at something, even when you feel like quitting. But the power to persevere doesn’t come from your muscles—it comes only from God.
A prophet named Isaiah once wrote, “Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary…. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
That’s right. When you are tired and worn out, God has the power you need. When you feel weak, God can give you strength to keep going. When you are exhausted and feel like giving up, God can help you to persevere. Just ask him for help. Believe that he is strong even when you’re not. And he will help you to persevere—in everything you do.
REFLECT: According to today’s Bible reading, where does the strength to persevere come from? Do you need to persevere in something right now? (For example, persevering in saying no to some of your friends, saying no to a temptation, or in doing a job or a chore.) Talk to God about it, and ask him for help.
PRAY: “Lord, I know that you never grow faint or weary and that you give power to the tired and strength to the weak. Please help me to find new strength to persevere.’
