Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter primarily to address Gentile Christians in Ephesus. He emphasized God’s will, and the fact that we have been a part of His plan since creation. This blessing is by God’s grace alone, and nothing we have done.

In Paul’s day, seals were used to notarize letters, indicate ownership of products, to show approval, and for protection or warning. A king would use clay or wax marked by a signet ring to indicate the authority of the imprint. Paul used this metaphor to illustrate God’s promises to us.

John 14:26 teaches us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of everything He has said to us. The Holy Spirit comes upon each of us at the exact moment we accept Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. We are instantly sealed. We have security in our salvation, we belong to God, and we are authenticated by the seal of the Holy Spirit. We are His!

God purchased our very souls. We are redeemed because we are precious enough to Him to purchase for an immense price, the perfect blood of Jesus Christ. Until the moment He claims His purchased possession (when we die), we have been sealed in Christ. This is a down payment declaring God intends to finish what He started.

When we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, we begin to feel tugs at our hearts as He nudges us toward righteousness. We need to slow down and listen to Him in all that we do and ask Him to guide us. This frees us from indecision and half-heartedness. We need to wake up each day and make a conscious decision to be a Spirit-led person. The Holy Spirit makes God’s Word come alive. Without the Holy Spirit, they are just words on a page. With the Holy Spirit, we have the living God directing our daily lives.

When we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are chosen by God. Now it is our responsibility to choose Him. God is a sovereign creator, and we are created in His image. To follow Him is our sovereign choice.

Application:

1. Pride goes before a fall. Let go and humble yourself before God. Do this out loud, and from your knees.

2. Everyone is broken. Everyone sins. Think and pray about one of yours. Change your thinking about it. Acknowledge it is a sin, ask Christ for forgiveness, and change your behavior. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through this.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, give us the wisdom each day to ask for Your guidance. Remind us to listen to the Holy Spirit in everything we do. Motivate us through the Spirit to serve You, Lord. Thank You for not giving us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind. You are in control. We love You. Your will be done. Amen.

For Further Study:

John 14:13-26, and John 3:33-36.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NIV)

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Explanation:

I have a bad hip. Some days my hip causes a lot of pain and discomfort. Other days it works like it should. On good days I can play basketball, work out, play with my kids, and get work done. But on bad days, I can get random pain that stops me from doing the things I need to do, and some days I can barely walk. I am sure you can relate to this in some way. Some suffer from headaches or other bodily pain. Others have addictions that mess with them. You have a vehicle that works, and then it decides to not function properly. We all have something in our lives that doesn’t work the way it should.

Now think about our church. If The Tree Church is your home church, it’s part of your body, too. It takes so many volunteers to make our body run well. And too often our church is running on fumes. Some Sundays our church runs and operates like a CHAMP. And sometimes, other parts of the body have to work harder and faster to even survive.

I get it, life happens and sometimes we just can’t make it to church. But how often are we just too lazy, in a bad mood, or honestly just don’t want to go? I’ve been there, and honestly, I didn’t care that someone else had to pick up my slack. You ask, “Josh, what changed?” Well, I did. God changed me by putting people in my life that were picking up my slack. I didn’t like to hear that coming from people I love. I was hurting the body, my body in Christ. I was making God’s Kingdom suffer just so I could be selfish. No one wants to make anyone they love suffer or cause more work for them.

So I just want you to ask yourself one question: “Am I causing my church body to suffer?”

This is a for real question you need to ask yourself. If you come in those doors each week and get convicted from the message, and look forward to each Sunday, but you’re not volunteering or getting involved… then YES. You are hurting the body. You are hurting your church body by not working or functioning as you are intended to.

Here is what you need to do if that applies to you: go to Connection Central. Get plugged in, and join a connect group. Get more involved in your church body. Volunteer. Make new friends in the church that are there for the same reason you are: to love God, love people, and advance the kingdom of God. I know for a fact God is waiting over there to show you your new path.

Application:

1. Ask God to show you where to volunteer.

2. Pray for the people that are doing multiple positions to help our church body run.

3. Look at your own life and ask God to show you what you are missing so you can operate more efficiently.

Prayer:

God, thank You for today. Thank You for loving us. Help us to get more in tune with what, where, and when we can help advance Your kingdom. Show us if we are helping or hurting Your kingdom. Give us courage to take our next steps to get more involved in our church body. As we pray these things, we wait for You to do miracles in and around our lives. In Your mighty name we pray, Amen.

Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Explanation:

As Christians, we believe in the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The mystery of God can never be completely understood, but most of us are comfortable with God as our Father/Protector who receives and hears our prayers. We know Jesus as a man who lived, did not sin, and was the perfect sacrifice. He took our sin upon Himself, so we can be in right standing with a holy God. That’s where the conversation often stops with a lot of Christians.

The Holy Spirit, however, is just as important in God’s plan for empowering His people. God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and He is God. He isn’t less than God, nor more important than God. He accomplishes His will through us. God doesn’t need anything, but invites us to be a part of His plan for humanity. When we place our faith in Jesus, repent and receive His grace, God empowers His people with His Spirit to live inside all believers.

To be effective and reflect Jesus to others, we need the Holy Spirit in our lives. It was no different when God sent His Spirit to the disciples for the first time on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Jesus’s followers were waiting to be empowered by the Holy Spirit so they could spread His message of redemption to the world. On Pentecost, God did something miraculous by giving the disciples the ability to speak the language of all the nations and preach His message of salvation. On that day, God chose to make Himself known to all people, and offered an opportunity for them to be in relationship with Him. The same is true for you.

Application:

1. It is important for us to recognize the Holy Spirit’s prompting. This can be effective by quieting our mind, reading the Bible, and listening to Him.

2. How has God empowered you with His Spirit? Who would He want you to tell your testimony?

3. The Holy Spirit gives us many gifts, such as wisdom, knowledge, healing, faith, prophecy, performing miracles, distinguishing spirits, and speaking and interpreting tongues. How can these gifts help you in your life?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

I want Your Spirit to surround me and give me a boldness to speak Your truth to others in a loving and redemptive way. Show me where I lack and need Your power to strengthen me. Help me to love others the way You love them. Teach me to trust You and not my own understandings. I want Your presence and peace in my life. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Luke 24:44-49 (NLT)

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Explanation:

I was filled with the Holy Spirit when I was 16 years old and am now 67.

Without a doubt, He has been my biggest helper, guide, comfort, and power.

Without Him, I would never have been able to stay the course through loss, challenges, and deep disappointments. He is my greatest resource, and the One who has gifted me with staying power.

The Holy Spirit is who makes the difference between enduring life and enjoying life.

He will do the same for you. He is precious, encouraging, compassionate, energizing, and full of wisdom. When you get to a fork in the road of life, I promise, you will find Him there.

“The Holy Spirit comes and FILLS you with POWER from HEAVEN!”

Who doesn’t need power in 2022?

Power from heaven supersedes any form of power you can fathom. It is supernatural. So much so that Jesus didn’t want His disciples to begin their mission until they received this power.

Jesus gave them two commands:

✔️ Wait in Jerusalem

✔️ Expect power

They had to obey to receive.

Jesus not only commissioned the disciples as witnesses but promised them the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the task. They all would endure unfathomable situations, but all fulfilled their calling.

He promises you the same.

Luke 11:13 says the Father will give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks Him, which means there is no discrimination or pecking order when it comes to God’s children having all they need to live for Him.

In June of 2005, I arrived in Lancaster. I had lost a life I held dear. I didn’t get here until midnight, and since Matthew had to preach the next morning, they left the front door unlocked and had a bed prepared.

I was so exhausted from the most traumatic year of my life that I only removed my shoes and slid into bed still in my clothes. I vividly remember rolling over onto my side and bringing the sheet over my head and saying into my pillow, “Jesus, it’s just You and me.”

Yes, it was Jesus and me…AND the Holy Spirit's power.

I not only survived, I thrived.

I’m here to tell you that no matter how hopeless or helpless you feel today, Jesus offers you the power of the Holy Spirit if you will but ask.

But you must ask.

Application:

1. What do you have to lose if you stop yourself right now and ask the Holy Spirit for help? You have everything to gain.

2. Don’t allow your ego to diminish your need for the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s folly. God designed us to need the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

This is my prayer for you today:

Lord, I know many people with small and enormous burdens are reading or listening today to my thoughts on the Holy Spirit. Take my words and illuminate Your power through them. Help those who are limping through life to be strengthened. Help those who are confused to find clarity. Help those who are alone to feel Your comfort. Help those who are losing their way to refocus on Jesus. Help the ones in bondage to fear find freedom. Help those in the prison of addiction find deliverance. Help the haughty and proud to crave Your presence once again. Do what only You can do, Holy Spirit, and empower Your children today. Amen.

John 1:6-7; 29-34 (NIV)

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

Explanation:

In Jewish history, an animal, most often a lamb, was offered in sacrifice to God to atone for the sin of man. How bold a statement that John made to the people, that this man now standing before them was the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Jews who were in witness there were likely stunned by this statement, and possibly even offended. Instead of a lamb being offered for sacrifice, God, in the form of man, was making Himself a sacrifice for the world, and not only for the Jews.

John was the son of a priest named Zechariah. He would have been raised under Jewish law, having a full understanding of it. He understood what the standards of Jewish sacrificial law were, and how important it was to adhere to those standards. At that time, every morning and evening a lamb would be sacrificed at the temple for the sins of the people. John was aware of the implications of his statement, and regardless of who he offended, he pointed with boldness and proclaimed that Jesus was the Lamb of God.

Two different times, John stated that he didn’t know Jesus, but he wasn’t speaking of Jesus in the physical person. They likely knew one another in the physical, as they were cousins. John was saying that God had revealed something to him about Jesus that was different than what he knew before. God spoke to John and told him that the Spirit would descend upon Jesus—and John witnessed that in person. That incident was the absolute confirmation for John; Jesus was the Messiah, the Lamb of God.

Application:

1. God knew exactly what John needed to be convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be. He told John what to watch for, and then made it happen. We know that God wants us to be aware of His work in our lives. How does God reveal Himself to you?

2. John acknowledged that he didn’t know what to expect as he was preparing the way for Jesus. We are very similar in this way, as we don’t know what God is planning to do in our lives as well. How can we prepare the way in our hearts and lives for Jesus, so God can do His planned work in and through us?

Prayer:

Father, I come to You today asking for You to prepare my heart, my mind, and life for the work You want to do in me and through me. Remind me every moment that Your Holy Spirit lives in me and walks with me. Help me to be open and aware of the work You want to do in me, and reveal Yourself to those around me. Help me to live a life that You would find pleasing, and in all that I do, give You the glory. In Jesus’s holy Name. Amen.

Exodus 40:34-38 (NLT)

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

Explanation:

When I first became a Christian, I used to envy the people of Israel so much. They could SEE a visual cloud of the Spirit of God. How blessed were they?! If they wanted to prove to someone that God actually exists, they didn’t have to argue, they could simply point to the cloud of glory. If they were wondering if they should move to a new place, they could just follow His cloud. I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to know the will of God that clearly? We wouldn’t have to worry about which college is right for us if we could just line up our college applications and see which one the cloud settled on. We wouldn’t have to wonder who God wanted us to date or marry… we could just wait to see which blessed guy walked in under a white cloud!

As I’ve gotten older in my journey with God, however, I realize how limited their relationship with God was in the Old Testament. They may have been able to follow the cloud from afar when God moved, but they couldn’t handle the holiness of the Lord if they got too close to Him. They had to stay outside the courts to bring their sacrifices to God, and the previous chapters and the whole book of Leviticus following this passage is filled with protocols of how to approach God. They couldn’t just worship God in church with a congregation, or in their living rooms with their families, or in their car on the way to work.

So really, it’s mind-blowing how blessed WE are on this side of history! We can simply pray for forgiveness and repentance, claim the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, instantly be washed clean, and the God of the universe comes to live in our hearts?! It seems too good to be true! We can grow from a place of wanting to know God’s will to actually having a heart-to-heart relationship with the Spirit of God. We don’t have to look to an external pillar of fire at night because now the Holy Spirit can speak comfort directly to the secret fears of our hearts in dark times. When we lack strength, the Holy Spirit comes close to us and fortifies our inner spirits to keep up the good fight. And when we enter His courts with praise, His glory can now rest upon us!

Application:

1. Have you accepted Jesus as your salvation so you can enjoy a vibrant, living relationship with God? Read Romans 3:23, Acts 4:12, and Acts 2:38 for guidance.

2. Are you fully utilizing the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to reside inside of you? Or are you still functioning as if God is an external source of limited guidance that you shouldn’t get too close to?

3. Pray to the Holy Spirit today to expose areas that you haven’t been allowing Him into fully, and pray that He would show you His glory! (Exodus 33:18)

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for providing the way for me to have a real relationship with You. Jesus, thank You for Your obedience to the cross and sacrifice for me. Holy Spirit, I am so thankful to be able to speak to You whenever I want to, and every time I need to. God, show me Your glory today!

Leviticus 23:15-21 (ESV)

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

Explanation:

The Feast of Pentecost, steeped in Jewish tradition, is a foreshadowing of the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. All of the rites, rituals, and laws in the Old Testament point the way to the coming Messiah. That may seem like a stretch by the time you get to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, but what appear to be stiff and starchy rules are actually a reflection of God’s holiness–He cannot condone sin; a price must be paid.

We see examples of offerings in this passage that require either the first or the best of what the giver owns. These complex verses become clear when we consider that God did the same to redeem our sins—He gave His first and His best. Should He not expect the same from us? Whether it is time, money, or talent, giving our best to God reveals our desire to obey Him. Obedience is the scale God uses to weigh the sincerity of our offerings.

Isaiah 1 gives us a taste of God’s displeasure when worship is combined with disobedience. After calling out the people of Judah for their hypocrisy, God implored them to repent and obey so they could enjoy His grace and provision (Isaiah 1:19). Some of us want God’s blessings while ignoring the latest thing He told us to do. We cannot experience God’s grace without first acknowledging His holiness, and we cannot acknowledge His holiness without first obeying His word.

Application:

1. Are you giving God the first and the best of what He has given you?

2. What is the latest thing God told you to do?

3. Have you done it?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for showing grace and mercy to me. Please give me clear direction as I do my best to obey what I know You are telling me to do. Amen.

Exodus 12:12-13, 21-23 (NIV)

On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your house or strike you down.”

Explanation:

After four generations of slavery in Egypt, God set in motion the next step of His redemptive purpose: to bring His chosen people to a place, both physically and emotionally, where they would once again be His own. After so long, the influence of Egyptian gods had worn off on the Israelites, and they had lost sight of who God was and all He was capable of. But God had a plan (spoiler alert: He always does). He began to re-introduce Himself to the Israelites using the plagues. Each plague, and ultimately the Passover, was sent by a loving God to show the Israelites His power, but more so, to teach them to trust Him.

God’s specific instructions to the Israelites were to strategically place the blood of a spotless lamb on the doorframe of their homes, across the top and down the sides of the doorposts. If they obeyed, they would be passed over while the angel of death sent by God came for the Egyptian first-borns. In the process of doing as God commanded, the Israelites would have made the motion (up high, then from side to side) that represents a cross. Ultimately, the Israelites were saved by the blood in the sign of the cross. We know that with sin, an atoning sacrifice is necessary. The blood, if not our own, has to come from somewhere. For the Israelites, it was a year-old spotless lamb, and for us, it is the blood of the only sinless Son of our Most High Father. The cross represents that death has passed over us.

The Lord tells the Israelites (through Moses) that each man is to select the lamb for his own household. Each family had to make a decision as to whether they would apply the blood of the lamb to their lives. Today, we still have this choice: Will we choose to apply the blood of Jesus to the doorframe and doorposts of our hearts? If so, our relationship with Him begins with a promise as well. The redemptive blood of Jesus sets us free from the slavery of a life lived in sin. He was our perfect atoning Passover Lamb, chosen by God Himself, to advance His beautiful redemption plan of calling ALL of His people, including us, back to Himself.

Application:

1. The Hebrew words for “lamb” and “covering” share the same root. How amazing, as the blood of the Lamb promises to cover the sins of our lives into eternity! Celebrating the Passover annually is a way of remembering all God has done for His people, BUT for us Christians, celebrating all that the true Passover Lamb has done in our lives should be an everyday experience!

2. Speaking of remembering, think back to when you first chose to make Jesus your Savior, applying the blood of the cross to your own life. What was different then? What has grown in you? What is God showing you that you need to remember?

3. If you haven’t yet made this life-saving choice, what is holding you back? Does it help to know that God’s Holy Spirit promises to “help us in our weaknesses” (Romans 8:26)? From our very first choice to trust Him at His word, His Promise to never leave us is invoked. You were never meant to keep tryi

Genesis 3:1-8 (NIV)

Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they realized they were naked; so, they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Explanation:

I am reading a book at the moment by Havilah Cunnington called Stronger Than The Struggle- Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle. I am not that far in yet, but the chapter I was just reading talks about how satan works. He is super smart, conniving, and uses manipulation to trick us into thinking that God is not for us, we are not good enough for Him, and He couldn’t possibly love us with all our sin. This is spiritual warfare, and we are fighting a spiritual war every single day, friends.

God knows all our sin and our weaknesses, but wants to use them for good. On the other hand, satan wants to use our sin and our weaknesses to manipulate us, just like he manipulated Adam and Eve. Satan is so crafty. Do you see how he turns Eve’s statement into a question? She tells him that God said, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” Satan flips it and says, “You will not certainly die.” This is one of his many schemes. He will question what God said, and try to make you doubt. Then he will feed your mind and heart with lies, just like when he tells Eve that God knows when she eats from the tree, her eyes will be opened, and she will be like God, knowing good and evil.

This is just not a story; this is showing us how satan works and how God is always going to find a way to redeem us. No matter how crafty and manipulative satan is, God is always there to redeem us and get us back on the narrow path toward life. We must remember that we are fighting daily, and we have the Holy Spirit to help us. Sometimes I think we can judge Eve harshly for falling for the schemes of the serpent, but how many times have we listened to his lies? How many times have we doubted God, or in the moment followed our own selfish desires? We are all broken, and we all have fallen short, but the most important thing to remember is that we know who can restore us. God, and God alone!

Application:

1. When you read the story of the fall of man, what thoughts/emotions come to the surface?

2. Do you ever feel like you are being spiritually attacked? What does that look like for you?

3. What are some ways you can combat spiritual warfare in your everyday life?

Prayer:

God, thank You for always pursuing us, even when we fail. Thank You for loving us unconditionally and wanting to be in a relationship with us. I pray You would help us when we feel spiritually attacked. I pray You would remind us that we need You every single day. Help us to worship You more this week. Amen.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they 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.

Explanation:

The popularity of endurance sports has grown immensely over the past several decades. Individuals are constantly testing their physical and mental limits, striving to push themselves longer, farther, and harder than ever before. One of the more popular events that you may be familiar with is the ironman triathlon race, which consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run. It is an unbelievable challenge, one that requires the ability to overcome weariness. The individual who can push through the weariness will find themselves crossing the finish line with the title of ironman. I guarantee that every athlete who competes in an ironman race experiences some level of weariness.

You may look at an individual who willingly puts themselves through that type of experience as crazy. In all honesty, one must be a little cuckoo to even attempt endurance sports. However, weariness is not something only endurance athletes face. Weariness comes in all shapes and sizes, not just physical. At the time when Isaiah spoke these words we read today, God’s people, the Israelites, were strangers in a foreign land. They had been exiled to Babylon, and God spoke this promise over them through the prophet Isaiah. Their situation was anything but ideal, and they were unfortunately enduring the consequences of their choice not to follow God.

From what we can see in the context, many had grown excessively weary of the condition they found themselves in. Even the youth, who are known for being full of energy, had reached a place of exhaustion. In your human experience, you too have probably experienced some level of weariness. Maybe you are even in that season now. It may not be to the extent we read about in Isaiah, but that does not minimize how difficult those seasons can be. Friends, these are not seasons to try and muster up more of our own strength. It is time for the One who does not grow weary. We need supernatural spiritual intervention. Weariness can only be endured when we have the power and promises of God in our lives. The Israelites needed to be reminded of it then, and we need reminded of it today. Depend on God for your strength always. His strength is best demonstrated in and through our weaknesses.

Application:

1. How have you seen weariness in your life?

2. What are indicators for you that you are in the midst of a weary season?

3. How do you typically handle your weariness?

4. What can you take away from today’s reading that could help you in seasons of weariness?

Prayer:

Lord, I grow weary. My human strength can only go so far. On my own power, I struggle to endure at times. Thank You for making Your strength available to be. I could not do life without it. Nor do I want to. Help me in my weariness.