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He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isaiah 40:29 KJV

Context:

Isaiah speaks of a God that is very powerful; the one who made the heavens and the earth. Of course, where there is an original, be sure that other pretenders will also make claims of greatness and seek to deceive many people. This is the God who speaks of himself this way: the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who does not faint nor is weary and there is no searching of his understanding. This is the God who speaks here; which God have you met and are following? 

Whether you admit to it or not, all of us have a backup plan, in the event that something goes wrong. It could be bank account balances, strong enough to make you smile, or it could be a wise circle of influential friends, who can help you when the going gets tough. Whichever one it is, remember: as long as it is not the God who is introduced here, there is no happy ending. The people of Isaiah's day made images that could not move themselves, not to talk of helping those who made them. Before I laugh at their 'ignorance', am I also doing the same: making images and idols out of the created things like me, while ignoring the creator of all? 

Message and Response:

God never leaves man in doubt as to his plan and purpose. He wants to show himself as a great and mighty God; one who can do all things. In the course of life, things will happen that will shake the foundations of all I thought I knew. Long before the challenges come, God wants me to get to know him. It is not about just reading about his mighty works; it is about knowing the one who pulls the strings. 

The rules in the physical also have equivalence in the spiritual. How do I call for help from the one I have not surrendered to? How do I submit to the authority of a God I have not accepted as my Lord and Saviour? How do I draw on and make a demand on the resources of a country that I am not a legal resident of?

Times of fainting will come. Times when giving up is easier than pressing on. The human nature we inherited from Adam is a guarantee that we will not always understand the why behind the what that happens to us, but for those who have come to the Help of Israel, you can be sure that what he offers will be good value for whatever experience may come.

Check out today's extract: he gives power to the faint. When I am tired and weary, more of the same stress will not help my situation. What will be of value to me at the time will be power, help and grace. Who else can give you all these other than the God of grace himself? No one can give you that which he does not have. Read also: to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. I ask: how do you increase something that never existed in the first place? How can there be an increase of something you never had in the first place? 

Meet the God who can make a donkey speak with a human voice, and can change the course of nature by making the sun to stand still and delay going down by a whole day. That is the God Paul testified to when he said: 

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 Corinthians 1:27‭-‬29 KJV. 

This is the God who calls us to himself, because he wants to prove his power and might in and through us. He does not need anything from me to prove his power, might and grace in me. He does not need my permission to prove he is God, but if I would only allow him, he will take that story of mine, which is negative, and turn it into a testimony. He takes that which I think is of no value and makes into something that moves the world.

In my hands, a tennis racquet may just be very ordinary, but in the right hand, it has led to riches. Imagine what a life in the hands of God can become. Give him all the pieces, the broken parts, the pain, loss and tragedy and watch him make something glorious out of what you would call 'bad'. It matters in whose hands your life is. If it is in your own hands, then it means you are the architect of your destiny. If you don't have the power to influence the present or change the future, of what value then is your control? But when God is the one in control, he is able to supply all that you need down here and also prepare you for life with him in eternity. So, which one applies to you? Eternity hangs on your answer. His time of favour is here.