Isaiah 40:28-31 NASB95
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. [29] He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. [30] Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, [31] Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
I don’t believe the weariness or tiredness referred to in these verses is mainly about physical weariness or tiredness. I believe it’s about the emotional and mental weariness we can experience living in this fallen world among people still impacted by their own fallenness. As a matter of fact, I believe that the internal weariness that we experience as a result of the brokenness of this world and the people who live in it is because of our own personal frailty when we respond to life apart from surrendering to the resurrection power of Christ who lives in us.
You can’t really understand what verses 29 – 31 are saying, and to you first recognize that in verse 28 it says that the Everlasting God does not become weary or tired. Life can feel exhausting when disappointment, discouragement, and pain knock at the door of our reality. God never experiences that kind of exhaustion that makes Him feel like, “I’m not sure I can take this or deal with this anymore.” Romans 15:13 says that He is “the God of hope” and “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He is the Everlasting God. In Him, there is no variance or shadow of turning.
Verse 31 says that we will gain new strength if we “wait” on the Lord. The Hebrew word for “wait” carries the idea of a small strand being joined to a large rope, thus experiencing the strength of the rope as its strength. It is now one with the strength of the rope. This is how God gives strength to the weary. As we trustfully surrender to Him, we mount up on the wings of His “everlastingness” and soar in freedom from soul weariness. In our weakness, His strength is made perfect. In Christ, it is possible – it is actually normal – to walk and sometimes run through this world while internally soaring with wings like eagles.