Daily Scripture: Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort and keep comforting my people,” says your God.
2 “Tell Yerushalayim to take heart; proclaim to her
that she has completed her time of service,
that her guilt has been paid off,
that she has received at the hand of Adonai
double for all her sins.”
3 A voice cries out:
“Clear a road through the desert for Adonai!
Level a highway in the ‘Aravah for our God!
4 Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill lowered,
the bumpy places made level
and the crags become a plain.
5 Then the glory of Adonai will be revealed;
all humankind together will see it,
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”
27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov;
why do you say, Isra’el,
“My way is hidden from Adonai,
my rights are ignored by my God”?
28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard
that the everlasting God, Adonai,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
does not grow tired or weary?
His understanding cannot be fathomed.
29 He invigorates the exhausted,
he gives strength to the powerless.
30 Young men may grow tired and weary,
even the fittest may stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength,
they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings;
when they are running they won’t grow weary,
when they are walking they won’t get tired.
Reflection Questions:Isaiah 40 offered hope to Hebrews returning from exile in Babylon, speaking words of comfort and divine promise. Because God had never abandoned them, even in the days that felt the most painful and desolate, they could always keep hoping. God is in the business of “giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted.” That’s a promise we need as much as the Israelites did.
- Pastor David McKenna wrote of those who first heard Isaiah’s promise, “By God’s great exchange, their weakness will be renewed by His omnipotent strength and their fears will be relieved by His omniscient understanding.” When has God renewed your strength and faith at a time when you were faltering? How can you claim that renewed hope and strength today?
- Today’s passage addressed the weary, doubtful complaint of the Israelites in exile: “My way is hidden from the Lord, my God ignores my predicament.” In what parts of your life do you struggle with a sense that God ignores your concerns and predicaments? On what did the prophet say you can focus to renew your hope and strength?
Lord Jesus, on so many days it seems as though my steps falter, and I’m tempted to give up. I need your strength and hope—thank you for the promise that they are always there. Amen.
---------------------Insights from Courtney Felzke
Courtney Felzke is Pastor of Silver Link. Resurrection’s Silver Link Ministry serves senior adults who become unable to fully engage in the life of the church, including those who are physically frail or suffering from dementia. Courtney seeks to maintain a connection with all such Resurrection participants through pastoral care and worship.
I find these words from Isaiah 40:28 to be of great comfort: “He does not faint or grow weary.” It’s a reminder to all of us that when we grow tired and weary, we can rest assured that God doesn’t wrestle with these same feelings. God doesn’t grow faint or weary. God is a constant, strong presence in our lives, no matter what it is we may be going through.
I think it’s also comforting to think about verse 31: “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 be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). When we trust in in God’s promise of presence, trust that God can bring goodness out of even the worst situations, we can find renewed strength even in our hardest times.
I remember after my dad died I felt exhausted and worn. I wondered how I was ever going to be able to complete certain tasks without my dad’s help. For instance, I remember the first time I had to fill out the FAFSA application without my dad’s help. The form was due right after dad passed away, and I had no clue how to fill out most of it. I remember breaking down in tears, praying to God for help in completing this form. I truly believe it was God who helped me clear my head and reminded me of where I could turn to get help in filling out this form. This was a small form which needed to be filled out, but I was so weak at the time it was due. God renewed my strength when I felt so worn down. As our GPS asks us today, when have you felt God renew your strength?
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
I find these words from Isaiah 40:28 to be of great comfort: “He does not faint or grow weary.” It’s a reminder to all of us that when we grow tired and weary, we can rest assured that God doesn’t wrestle with these same feelings. God doesn’t grow faint or weary. God is a constant, strong presence in our lives, no matter what it is we may be going through.
I think it’s also comforting to think about verse 31: “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 be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). When we trust in in God’s promise of presence, trust that God can bring goodness out of even the worst situations, we can find renewed strength even in our hardest times.
I remember after my dad died I felt exhausted and worn. I wondered how I was ever going to be able to complete certain tasks without my dad’s help. For instance, I remember the first time I had to fill out the FAFSA application without my dad’s help. The form was due right after dad passed away, and I had no clue how to fill out most of it. I remember breaking down in tears, praying to God for help in completing this form. I truly believe it was God who helped me clear my head and reminded me of where I could turn to get help in filling out this form. This was a small form which needed to be filled out, but I was so weak at the time it was due. God renewed my strength when I felt so worn down. As our GPS asks us today, when have you felt God renew your strength?
--------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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