Scripture: Isaiah 40:30-31 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.
Devotion: There is perhaps no greater sense of defeat for at least half of the American population than during the Presidential election every four years. Without fail, a large portion of the citizens in this country are disappointed with the outcome. There are often two opinions (both of these with sarcasm): Either the popular vote clearly doesn’t matter because the electoral college ends up determining the outcome anyway or the largest cities in the U.S. don’t represent the rest of the country well but are still determining our elections. After the winner is announced, there is a whole slew of “this is the end of our country as we know it” messages. And ultimately, this happens because we are putting our hope in something temporary and fallible.
Obviously, it is important who the President of the United States is. That’s not the point I am trying to make. Instead, what is more important is who we are looking to for our ultimate hope. When we place our trust and our hope in something other than God, it will fall short every single time. After that, we grow frustrated and tired. It is a cyclical pattern that we can easily fall into.
Our verses for today remind us that when we put our hope in the Lord, our strength is renewed. Rather than walking through this life frustrated and overwhelmed, we are promised that we will not grow faint. Rather than feeling hopeless and spread thin, we can find peace and rest. All of this can be found when we place our hope in the Lord and His plan of salvation and restoration.
Every once in a while, we need that reminder. We need to be told that the sky isn’t falling, that we don’t need to let the newest policy or headline dictate our emotions, and that the stock market doesn’t determine our worth or happiness. We need the reminder that our hope lies in something and someone much greater than all of that. Our God is good, faithful, unchanging, merciful, just, sovereign, and so much more. When we fix our eyes on Him, we can find peace and rest amidst the chaos of this world.
Reflect:
- Are you easily overwhelmed by what is going on in our nation and our world?
- How can you shift your perspective to truly place your hope in the Lord and find rest in Him?
