Hope in the LORD

“Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD; and my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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: 27-31 NIV)

This is an all too familiar event for Israel in the Old Testament times. God’s people are gain crying out for help, claiming that God has abandoned them, and has chosen to ignore His people. However this is not the case at all, as is typical the apparent abandonment of God was simply that the people of Israel had again ceased to trust in Him, hence the rest of this passage. Isaiah is telling Israel to remember all that God has done. He is reminding them that God is always there, He does not forget, and He will not abandon them. All Israel needs to do is lean on the LORD, instead of their own might, and He will provide what they need.

We are not so far different. The heart of man is prideful, arrogant, and forgetful; that last part being why God had His people set up so many places and days of remembrance. We are just as forgetful today. We seem to forget that God really did all of these great signs we read about. We forget all the times we were struggling and cried out to Him only to receive an answer, and usually one that surpassed what we asked for. We try to do everything in our own strength, only calling on Him when we realize we don’t have what it takes. And yet, the second things look up again, instead of being thankful and remembering what God has done, we take the credit ourselves, and grow in pride. This is perhaps the most dangerous part of our sinful nature.  Our minds are clouded by our own selfishness, and our desires.

This is why we must daily, actually, upon every breath, look to Christ as our example, and live our lives in remembrance of what was done for us. Constantly seeking the will of God as revealed through the Spirit. We must be ready and willing to cast off all of our former selves, and never again turn back to it.

“Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:61 ESV)

Our decision to follow after Christ is supposed to be life changing, completely and totally, the old self dies, and is replaced by the new self, living a life in the Spirit. Paul’s teaching clarify this a bit better than my words ever could:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that lal of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought o nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6: 1-6 ESV)

We must let go of ourselves, our dead selves, and lean on Christ, and the power of our Heavenly Father. He will give us the strength we need each day. He will not grow weary or abandon us. Allow the Spirit to transform your minds, and ultimately your life. We are dead to sin, and free to live our lives for Christ! Hope in the LORD, and let Him be your strength.