faith

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, KJV).

This is one of the most amazing verses in the Bible, and we read it all wrong. We fixate on “they shall mount up with wings as eagles” and skip over the walk and run portions. But flying like an eagle is not our goal. Actually, most days we may not feel like flying — but we can take one step at a time with our Savior.

“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch had intimate communion with his heavenly Father and his life is yet another testimony of what it means to truly walk in faith. His fellowship with God was so intimate that the Lord translated him to glory long before his life on earth might have ended.

Take a look at the current condition of our nation and the world. What do you see? Christ’s prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes: “On the earth distress of nations, with perplexity … men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’” (Luke 17:5). The men who comprised Christ’s close circle were asking something important of their Master. Desiring a greater understanding of the meaning and working of faith, they were saying, in essence, “Lord, what sort of faith do you desire from us? Give us a revelation of what pleases you so that we may grasp faith in its fullest meaning.”

“According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:11-12). God’s children have the right and freedom to break in on our Lord at any time — one of the greatest privileges ever bestowed on humankind.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

The Holy Spirit gives us strength when we release all our needs into God’s hands and trust in his might. We see an example of this kind of trust in a Moabite woman named Ruth. After her husband died, Ruth traveled back to the land of Judah with her mother-in-law, Naomi, who was quite elderly and also a widow. The two women lived together in humble surroundings, and Naomi became concerned about Ruth’s welfare.

“When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me” (Matthew 8:5-9).