Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God’?
28 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.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 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.

 ‘With the power of God within us, we need never fear the powers around us.’ Dr. Woodrow Kroll.

Over the next day or two, I am going to share some quotes on this magnificent climax to an awesome chapter. Doctrine/theology is practical in its outworking; it is intended to change our lives. God doesn’t want us to merely know that He is Almighty; He wants to impart His own strength to us.

‘The wrong inference from God’s transcendence is that he is too great to care; the right one is that he is too great to fail (28); there is no point at which things ‘get on top’ of him. But vs 29-31 make the big transition from power exercised to power imparted, to be experienced through the faith expressed in the word hope (or ‘wait’…So the final reminder of human frailty (30) is forward looking; it clears the way for trust and the transcending of natural resources. The phrase renew their strength (31) is (lit.) ‘change strength’, as one might change into fresh clothes or exchange an old thing for a new. It may be significant that the three final metaphors speak of overcoming natural impossibility and two natural weaknesses, ending on the note of steady progress.’ Derek Kidner, ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.656.

Prayer: Lord God, please help me to do what your promise says. Enable me to actively look to you in faith. I surrender to you my strength (which is weakness) and open myself to your strength (which truly is strength). I confess I need fresh clothes, and I come to you to receive them.