Renewed Strength

As I undergo cancer treatment, I often get asked how I'm doing. I told the last person, "The latest round took me down, but I'm up again". 

It resonated with what I found to be so interesting when I last read the well-known Bible verse found in the book of Isaiah. It reads like this, "those who wait on the Lord, will renew their strength," Isaiah 40:31a.

At first glance, it's an easy verse to understand. We can all agree that it reminds us that if we put our trust in God, He will give us strength. And that is how I have always interpreted it. That is until the other day when I read it, and something seemed to jump out at me. An underlying message: so simple, it is easy to miss. 

The backstory is that I was really struggling physically and what's worse, emotionally, when I came across the words of this verse. 

Renew. That's the word that caught my attention. One of its dictionary entries states, "to resume after an interruption." You see in order for something to be renewed, it must have been discontinued or over, lost, or must have gotten old and worn.

So if we go back to our verse considering the meaning of the word "renew", then we can actually conclude that those who wait on the Lord, can and will sometimes lose their strength. Meaning, they can become weak. They are not always strong. They don't always persevere. In fact, sometimes those who wait on the Lord are overcome by fear and overwhelmed with weakness. Sometimes those of us who are waiting on the Lord become very weary, tired, and even discouraged. And it is okay. It is actually ok to grow tired and weary at times, as long as we find our way back to these words of truth, knowing that our strength can be renewed by the one who sees us in our weakness.

I thought I would end this reflection here, but I came across this ever challenging scripture found in Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." So what happens when that strength dwindles or becomes sparse? What happens when we grow weary and we lose the vigor to love God this way? Hence, I dig a little deeper and go a little further because there's that word "strength" again. The very thing that will be renewed for those who wait on Him. Those who trust in Him. Those who call on Him. We shall not hopelessly despair or feel famished of our love for God because when we call on Him, He will renew our strength.  We are called to love our God with our innermost being and with all of our strength. Therefore, we shall put our trust in Him who renews our strength, even the very strength that we are called to love Him with. 

So as I personally struggle to grasp that vitality I need for the day. As I struggle to fervently walk by faith every day, I hold on to and cling to the promise that He will renew my strength. He will be true to His word and when I trust Him, He is faithful.