Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 

I’m tired.
So darn tired.

Anyone else?
I’m tired of the fighting.
I’m tired of watching people I love get sicker.
I’m tired of seeing hurting people struggle.
It takes a toll – all the sickness and anger and negativity around us.
And hope can feel a little forced, or even completely out of reach.  

It’s at these times,
when life feels like one marathon after another,
when my legs and heart and spirit are so tired,
This is when I turn to Isaiah 40.
I first heard this section of Isaiah in college.
I grew up Catholic, as some of you know, and we didn’t always feel like we had permission to just dig into the Bible and learn scripture.  
So when these verses came to me they felt like a quiet gift.
Like Isaiah was imparting some great wisdom to my tired and cynical 20 year old soul.
And like many quiet gifts, they came to me in song first, and then I went digging into scripture to get more.
This verse, when read out loud or on the page, is always set to music in my mind.
(This music. Always. And it’s just lovely.)

Isaiah was writing to the Israelites who were exiled.
They thought had been abandoned by their God.
They were exhausted, and losing hope.
Even the youngest, least cynical among them had gotten weary.
And Isaiah steps in with a little word of hope.

Have you not known? He says.
It’ll come.
When we wait, and allow God to come and do her thing –
Our strength is renewed.  
Not just a little bit, but like we’ve got wings like eagles.
Like we could run and run and run and not get weary.
Wouldn’t that be awesome?
To keep fighting and working
in the world or just to get through the day
and not get tired?

The prophet Isaiah reminds us earlier just who God is.
(Caveat – I don’t always advocate for Eugene Peterson’s Message paraphrase, so read the real Isaiah 40:28-31 too, but his version here is lovely):
Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
  He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
   And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired…

Oh man. Oh MAN.
I couldn’t love this more.
You know me, I love some sass, and Isaiah brings it – um haven’t you been listening?
You guys.
Haven’t you heard?
This God, OUR GOD, lasts.

God doesn’t come and go – God lasts.
God doesn’t get tired of fighting for you, with you and in the world around you.
God doesn’t even have to pause to take a breath.
Continuous and constant presence and action in the world.
That is our God.
And when you remember this – then you rise up.
You know how that word, “wait” in verse 31 “Those who wait for the Lord” can also be translated?
Look for. Expect. Hope.
Those who look for the Lord.
Those who expect the Lord.
Those who hope in the Lord.
They will what?
Renew their strength.
Those who look for God, and hope for God and expect God to be there will rise up stronger than ever before.  
And boy do we need some of that rising.
Look.
Hope.
Expect God to be there.
Because she is.
I promise.

PS. Hit play on that link above, turn it all the way to 11, and close your eyes. You won’t regret it.