“But 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
The Israelites who first received this promise were worn out from their hardship. They had lived in exile in Babylon for several decades. Their perspective was darkened by despairing thoughts: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God” (Isa. 40:27). They thought God either couldn’t help or didn’t care. Isaiah uses a pair of words—faint and weary—three times in the span of a few verses here (Isa. 40:27-31). They were exhausted and burdened from the circumstances of life. They weren’t just weak in body, but weak in spirit. How could they endure the hard circumstances of life any longer?
Isaiah responded to these questions with his own: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow faint or grow weary” (Isa. 40:28). This is a good word for the weary: You may grow faint, but God doesn’t. God is an endless source of strength, and he gives it generously— “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isa. 40:29). This is who he is. The ever-strong and never-weary One loves to help weak and weary people.
Isaiah acknowledges this— “even youths shall faint and be weary; and young men shall fall exhausted” (Isa. 40:30). In other words, even those in their prime with perfect health have limits. We need a stronger strength to match our deep discouragements.
So, how do we get it? There is only one answer, and here we come to the great promise of this text: “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” Not, those who work for the Lord, but those who wait for him. This isn’t about showing God how strong we are and asking him to give us a bit more. No, here we admit that we don’t have the strength we need. We acknowledge that we need the strength only he can give. And we wait for him, which is more than just passing time. In Hebrew, this word carries with it a sense of hopeful expectation. In the midst of hardship, we look to him as the one who works all things together for our good.
In 2023, boldly go in the direction of your dreams.
Stand tall and show the world what you are made of. When the world beats you down, find a reason to get back up again. Never give up on the success.
Try, try, try, and try again. Feed your mind ideas of success, not failure.
Remember, the only way you can fail is if you give up. Every time you fail, you come one step closer to success.
You are not scared; you are courageous. You are not weak; you are powerful. You are not ordinary; you are remarkable.
Do not back down, do not give up.
When you look back on your life, don’t have regrets. Believe in yourself, belief in your future, you will find your way.
A fire burning inside you is mighty; it is waiting to burn bright. You are meant to do great things.
Following your dreams can be both terrifying and exciting.
Courage is facing fear. Fear of failure holds most people back. You are not most people.
Persist and persuade others about your plans, as they are real. Nobody can do this but you. Nobody will get in the way of our dreams.
Most people master the obvious; you create something that wasn’t there before. It’s bold, it’s beautiful, and it’s you.
Give it your best, and your dreams will come to life. Success is yours.
Go for your dreams; it is your turn.
As we continue into the rest of the year 2023, the enemy is also planning to attack. However, no one can stop the speed of prayer. Let us remember to not use man’s effort but God’s effort instead. We tend to fail today because we neglect God’s ability.
If you know that God is all you have, you will pray as if there is not tomorrow.
Every growth you see has spiritual backup. If God is all you have, be faithful to Him and seek His face. Laziness in prayer gives way to the enemy to attack us. One cannot defeat their enemy unless they are above them. Therefore, let us seek the light and seek God. There is nothing above God.
Testing will come but it will not destroy you. Choose the path of righteousness and pray more.
What do you do when others are praying?
Make time for prayers.
In 2023 live a life of prayer. If you want to see improvement in your life, improve your prayer life. God is the answer. Stop planning with man’s effort and start planning with God’s effort.
You cannot find favour in the eyes of man if you have not found favour in the eyes of God. Someone who is sent by God can never be defeated.
In 2023, we look to Jesus, who came to us and said: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He carried the burden of our sin and judgment upon himself on the cross. He rose again and sent his Spirit to empower us and strengthen us in all our weakness. And we now look to him and wait for him to work—ultimately looking to the day when Jesus returns to set all things right and make all things new.
As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family, and our friends.
Let us release our grudges, our anger, and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains. Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, colour, or creed.
Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts and to chant God’s name each day. Let us lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right.
Let us remember that we are all one, embracing all, discriminating against none.
May your year be filled with peace, prosperity, and love. May God’s blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy, and peaceful new year.
—Temitope & Adebusola Owokole (General Overseers, DDMI)