Lighting Up Our City Video 7: The Importance of Perseveranceნიმუში

Day 4:

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.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
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. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

A long-distance race has points that may make us want to give up. Maybe it’s realizing we’re not as far along on the course as we thought or seeing someone we expected to outrun pulling away from us. It could be mental or physical fatigue that sets in as miles start to mount, and stepping away from the race might seem desirable.

As Christians, we face moments in our lives that make us want to give up, too. Discouragement may swirl around us, and our struggles may threaten to overwhelm us. But the solution to our problem isn’t to buckle down and try harder to pound out the miles; it is to cry out to God, admitting that we need His help to carry us through to victory.

In Isaiah 40: 28-31, the prophet Isaiah encourages us to remember that our strength should not come from ourselves but from the Lord. These verses remind us to look to God and remember His character: He is everlasting, the Creator of everything, the One who never grows tired and weary. And He is a caring and generous God who gives us strength for whatever lies ahead. When we place our hope in Him, He renews our strength helping us not merely to struggle through but to “soar on wings like eagles.”

In our day-to-day lives, we can keep going because the Lord makes it possible for us to endure. He promises that we will win the race when we rely on Him for our strength and our purpose.

When life’s challenges make you want to give up, look up instead! Today, move forward in faith, trusting that God will give you strength for the journey as you trust Him and rely on His provision.

By Dawn Tolbert