Isaiah 40:25-31

To show through this Scripture that every person can experience strength for each day by trust in God’s provision.

Honestly is always the best policy, but especially when you are surrounded by a crowd of women in a restroom during a break at a Christian women’s conference. One woman, putting on lipstick, said, “Oh, Joni, you always look so together, so happy in your wheelchair.  I wish that I had your joy!” Several women around her nodded, “How do you do it?” she asked as she capped her lipstick.

“I don’t do it,” I said. “In fact, may I tell you honestly how I woke up this morning?”

“This is an average day,” I breathed deeply. “After my husband, Ken leaves for work at 6:00 A.M., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 A.M. That’s when my friend arrives to get me up.”

“While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ‘Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But you do. May I have yours? God, I need you desperately.’”

“So, what happens when your friend comes through the bedroom door?” one of them asks.

“I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so,” I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, “whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning.”

I have learned that the weaker we are, the more we need to lean on God; and the more we lean on God, the strong we discover Him to be.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Background: The people of Israel had been a people in captivity in Babylon. They are about to go home. God is speaking to them both to comfort and encourage them to trust in Him and move forward because of the promises He made to them.

As we look at this Scripture and apply it to our lives today, we can see that God has made provisions for our well-being as we trust in Him to guide us.

God’s provision for our needs come through:

• His power (Acts 40:28)
  • His power is
    • Seen in Creation (Acts 40:26)
    • Tireless (Acts 40:28)
    • Wise (Acts 40:26)
      • In administering to our needs
• His plan (Acts 40:29)
  • He enables us to overcome weariness, He gives us strength
    • From discouragement
    • From disappointment
  • He empowers the weak
    • Enslaved people don’t feel strong
    • Isaish 41:10
• His promise (Acts 40:31)
  • The certainty of His promise
    • Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength
    • The completeness of His promise
      • They will soar on wings like eagles
        • While the eagle is weak during molting, following molting it finds new strength to soar
        • In teaching their young they will push them from the nest, gliding under them when the young grow weak until they gain their strength
      • They will run and not grow weary
      • Walk and not faith

Therefore, we can depend upon the promise of God to supply us with the strength we need for each day. What is our responsibility? To trust Him to be faithful to His word. HE WILL BE!

Whether we are a paraplegic or of sound body, God is true to His word.