Day 35: Strength for the Journey
Prescription Truth
Day 35: Strength for the Journey
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
“God never calls us to endure the journey alone. As we remain intertwined with Him, His strength becomes our strength.” — Dr. Daniel LeBlanc
Strength for the Journey
A couple of months ago, my wife and I decided to hike down a trail to see the great General Sherman in Sequoia National Park. The hike going down was fairly easy, but as we approached the area where the General stands, we began thinking about the climb back up. More than forty years earlier, we had made that same hike with no problem, practically running up and down the trail. But our bodies had changed through the years.
The scenery was breathtaking, and the cool mountain air made the beginning of the hike seem almost effortless. We talked, laughed, and admired God’s creation. Yet what had begun as an enjoyable walk gradually became physically demanding.
There came a point when we had to stop for a few moments. We caught our breath, took a drink of water, and rested before continuing. We had not yet completed the journey, but we were reminded of something important that day: sometimes the key to finishing is not running harder but learning how to be renewed along the way.
Many people begin their healing journey full of enthusiasm and expectation. They read God’s promises, pray with confidence, and believe for immediate results. But when healing takes longer than expected, discouragement can quietly begin settling into the heart. The battle becomes tiring, medical appointments continue, symptoms persist, and waiting becomes difficult.
Isaiah understood that reality when he wrote, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.” Notice that God does not merely promise strength to people who have never grown weary. He promises renewed strength to those who have.
The word renew carries the idea of an exchange. God invites us to exchange our weakness for His strength, our discouragement for His hope, our fear for His peace, and our exhaustion for His sustaining grace. We do not manufacture this strength ourselves. It flows from our connection with Him.
Waiting upon the Lord does not mean sitting passively and doing nothing. The Hebrew word translated wait carries the beautiful idea of being bound together, intertwined, or woven with strength, much like the strands of a powerful rope.
A mighty rope can hold a great ship in place because it is not made from one fragile strand. Its strength comes from many strands twisted and bound together. In the same way, waiting upon the Lord means allowing our lives to become intertwined with His life.
That rope can remind us of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By ourselves, we are like a single piece of straw—weak, easily bent, broken, or consumed by fire. But when our lives are intertwined with the life of the Triune God, His strength becomes our strength.
The secret is not trying harder. The secret is remaining connected.
As we remain intertwined with Him through His Word, prayer, worship, thanksgiving, fellowship, and quiet trust, He continually renews our strength for the journey. Waiting is therefore not inactivity. It is active dependence. It is the posture of a believer who refuses to quit because his life is being held together by the strength of God.
Throughout this week, we have learned that faith comes by hearing the Word, hope anchors the soul, faith agrees with God’s promises, persistent faith refuses to quit, Abraham became fully persuaded, and our mouths are to speak life instead of death. Now Isaiah reminds us that none of these things are sustained by human determination alone. They are sustained by remaining connected to God.
There will be days when you feel spiritually strong and emotionally confident. There may also be days when you feel tired, frustrated, or discouraged. Do not mistake temporary weariness for permanent defeat. Even the strongest believers experience seasons when they need fresh strength from the Lord.
One of the enemy’s favorite lies is to whisper, “You are getting tired. Why don’t you give up?” But God speaks a different message: “Remain connected to Me, and I will renew your strength.”
Notice the progression Isaiah describes. First, we mount up with wings as eagles. Then we run and do not grow weary. Finally, we walk and do not faint. Many of us might expect the order to be reversed, but there is wisdom in this progression.
Mountaintop moments are wonderful, but most of life is lived one faithful step at a time. Healing often happens the same way. There may be moments of dramatic breakthrough, but there are also ordinary days of faithfully trusting God, speaking His promises, following wise medical counsel, making healthy choices, and refusing to lose hope.
It is in those daily steps that God’s strength quietly sustains us.
Perhaps today you feel tired. Maybe you have been standing in faith for months or even years. Perhaps you have grown weary of doctor visits, medications, dietary changes, physical therapy, or waiting for answers. If so, hear the promise of Isaiah again: God has not abandoned you. He is inviting you to remain intertwined with Him and exchange your weakness for His strength. Stop and image yourself as a single piece of frail twine. Then see yourself being woven into a three fold cord of the triune God.
Continue to hear the Word and anchor your hope. Continue to pray and say the promise instead of the problem. Continue to give thanks before the manifestation, speak life, and stand in faith. You are not carrying this journey alone because your life is being held in the strong cord of God’s presence.
One of the greatest discoveries in the healing journey is realizing that God never intended you to finish by your own strength. His grace is sufficient for every step, His Spirit is your Helper, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. The journey may be longer than you expected, but the God who began walking with you has promised never to leave you.
Today, stop struggling like a single strand trying to carry the weight alone. Intertwine your life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remain connected, receive fresh strength, and take the next faithful step. The One who renews you will also sustain you and bring you safely to the finish.
Prayer
Father, thank You that You never ask me to walk this journey alone. Today I choose to remain intertwined with You. Bind my heart to Your heart, my thoughts to Your Word, and my strength to Your strength. When I become tired, renew me. When I become discouraged, restore my hope. When I feel weak, remind me that Your strength is made perfect in weakness. Help me remain connected through prayer, worship, thanksgiving, and trust. I thank You in advance for carrying me, sustaining me, healing me, and bringing me into complete wholeness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today’s Prescription
Take this Gos-Pill as soon as you wake up each morning and right before bedtime:
“I am not a weak strand standing alone. My life is intertwined with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and His strength is renewing me for every step of my healing journey.”
