Day 11: Isaiah 40:31
“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.”
I have read “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom many times, and what strikes me every time I read it is how she and her sister stood firm in the faith even when they were in a German concentration camp. What they went through was terrible, yet they kept holding on and even shared their faith with their fellow prisoners.
Their hope in God kept them going. It was the source of their strength.
Maybe you don’t understand what I am talking about. Being in a concentration camp in those days was the punishment for helping the Jews. Corrie and her family were part of an underground outfit in Holland that smuggled Jews to safety, where the Nazis could not reach them. Their underground work was uncovered, and the Germans arrested them, beginning a long imprisonment that ended in a concentration camp.
Yet they never lost their faith. They kept hoping in the Lord, and when either of them faltered, the other encouraged her. They could have placed their hope in the family they had outside, or in the officers with whom they had favor. But they didn’t, because they knew that only the Lord could give them the strength they needed to get through that ordeal.
When we hope in God, we essentially hand over the reins of our lives to Him. Remember He already knows what we are going through and what we need. But we must take the step of placing our hope in Him so that He can help us. Hope in God must be active, accompanied by trust and surrender.
Just like Corrie and her sister.
Reflection
Are you actively hoping in God today? Have you given Him the reins of your life so He can have full control? Do you trust Him to do what is best for you? Are you ready for Him to strengthen you in preparation for what lies ahead?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for this encouraging verse—a favorite of many Christians. Help me to entrust my life to You without holding back, and to hope in You without reservation. And as I do so, Lord, help me to soar on wings like an eagle, run without growing weary, and walk without fainting. Amen.