I. Introduction
A. Running on Fumes
1. Americans are running on empty, and I don’t mean our gas tanks.
a. In a Gallup poll last year, over half of U.S. adults (57%) said they would feel better if they got more sleep.
b. Part of the reason is likely stress. According to research by the American Psychological Association, individuals who experience higher levels of stress tend to have poorer sleep quality.
c. No wonder that so many people feel tired.
2. In our passage tonight, we learn of someone who is never tired and whose quality of work never suffers – God.
B. Background on Isaiah 40
1. Shackelford notes that a change in tone is evident in Isaiah beginning in chapter 40. The message becomes primarily one of comfort for God’s people.
2. The theme of chapter 40 specifically is the sovereign majesty of God.
a. Israel is enduring Babylonian captivity and feels forgotten by God.
b. Isaiah’s answer is to remind them who God is. He never grows weary, and He knows what He’s doing; if they will wait on God, they will be renewed with a strength that only He can provide.
3. Tonight, we’ll examine this passage to be encouraged by what we learn about the God who is never weary.
II. The Unwearied God
A. Lord
1. Isaiah reassures the people that God has not forgotten them.
2. He also tells them that God is not like us; God never grows weary or tired of over us.
a. This is a beautiful thought because it means that God doesn’t get tired of watching over us.
b. Illustration: There’s a reason we’re designed to raise children when we’re younger-they require a lot of energy. I often hear grandparents talk about how much energy their grandchildren have. Talk to grandparents after they’ve watched little ones for a whole weekend.
3. God is everlasting and the creator of the ends of the earth; there is nothing that is too big for Him to tackle.
a. The Message translates the end of verse 28 this way, “And He knows everything, inside and out.”
b. Even though God knows just how complicated, cantankerous, and consternate we can be, He never tires of caring for us.
4. We might feel like God gets tired of us simply because we think of Him in terms of our level of strength, but that isn’t true. God never grows weary or tired of us.
B. Shares His
1. Even more amazing is the fact that He shares His limitless power with those who are struggling.
2. In contrast to God never growing weary, Isaiah admits that followers of God do get and exhausted.
a. We need God’s strength, especially in times of trial.
b. Edward Young observes that God does not give in a stingy fashion; He supplies what is needed in abundance.
3. Through the years, I’ve witnessed people do amazing things for long periods of time that would wear out the best of us quickly. “How do they do it?” I think. Many have responded, “The Lord gives me the strength.”
C. with Waiting
1. Another contrast becomes evident when looking at the text; youths full of energy will stumble, but those who wait upon the Lord will find renewal in the Lord.
2. What does it mean to wait on the Lord?
3. Patient Hope
a. How often do we try to take matters into our own hands before seeking counsel from God and spiritual advisors?
b. קָוָה in Hebrew can be translated as ” wait, hope, or expect.
c. The Christian’s hope in God is what sustains us even in moments when we do not feel like going on.
d. It DOESN’T mean that we pray while leaning on our shovels and expecting God to dig a hole.
e. Hope for the Christian is better defined as confident expectation, not wishful thinking.
4. Illustration: While living in GA as a child, I would not get to see my grandparents in WV very often. Every year, on my birthday, I would receive a package from my grandmother. I was often told that I had to wait for my actual birthday to unwrap the gift. It was usually clothes, but I was one of those weird kids who liked clothing as a gift. Even in the waiting, I knew there was something good at the end of the waiting. But all throughout the agonizing process of waiting, there was an excitement. When the day arrived, I still had to open the package. The package wasn’t the gift; what was inside was the gift.
5. There are blessings to be found in the waiting.
a. We learn more perfectly what it means to God.
b. We have unexpected that bless us
c. We learn to be more with ourselves or others
d. We learn that we cannot ' class='singleline from-mark' style='min-width:unset;width:1204px'> everything all the time by ourselves
6. Wings of Eagles
a. The imagery of mounting up on eagle’s wings is a beautiful metaphor, but what does it mean?
b. Although not the highest flyer among birds, eagles do fly above many other birds. They fly high enough to find thermals that sustain them in the air (about 10,000 ft). They are master gliders, which enable them to cover a larger area more efficiently. The eagle mentioned in verse 31 could also be translated as a vulture. Some vultures reach heights of 37,000 feet when flying.
c. In Exodus 19:4, God uses this metaphor to describe how He brought them out of Egypt and to Mt Sinai.
d. The imagery is to encourage us to consider that when we are facing challenging moments, God us up above those circumstances to see things differently and endure whatever might come our way.
e. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
7. In Shackelford’s commentary on Isaiah, Eddie Cloer makes the following observation: “The same God who created the stars is the God of day-to-day living.”
8. God knows the challenges you’re facing in your relationships, career, education, etc., and He cares about those.
III. Conclusion
A. Tired?
1. Aren’t we glad that God never tires? More than that:
2. He is the limitless Lord
3. He shares His strength with us when we need it most
4. There is hope that comes with patience in waiting on God
B. Invitation