Walk and Not Faint

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31 

There are times in our spiritual lives when we soar. Every prayer of ours is answered, God is using us mightily, we're doing things we've never done before, we're flooded with strength and wisdom beyond our abilities.

There are times we're not soaring, but are still able to run and not be weary. Life doesn't seem so effortless, there aren't many miracles, there's frustration, but there's still an inner joy as we continue running the race for Him.

And there are times when we're neither soaring nor running, but simply walking. Walking and trying not to faint. Life's burdens seem to have gotten the better of us. We don't seem to be very fruitful, don't seem to have a breakthrough. But we're hanging on.

These are condensed, paraphrased thoughts from John Ortberg's If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. I've never interpreted these verses this way. I certainly draw loads of insight from these thoughts.

And I think I belong to the last category of people right now. Maybe I'd paint a different picture of someone struggling out at sea, desperately holding onto a lifebuoy and trying not to be defeated by the waters. I'm kicking but going nowhere. And I'm fearful of what's to come. The thought of it overwhelms me. But you know what? I'll hang on. 'Cos the Lifebuoy is all I have. And the Lifebuoy will bring me to shore.