Isa. 40:31 "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." 

In January of this year I suffered a stroke which left me partly incapacitated. I’ve not been able to fully use my left leg or foot since then and am actively involved in exercise and rehabilitation. The Lord has been gracious and has helped me each day to “re-learn” the use of this leg. Thanks to the assistance of my wonderful wife and kind friends, I am well on the way to recovery. But we don’t know what it means to be without body parts until we are interrupted in the usage of them. The smallest tasks, especially of mobility, suddenly become daunting.

Harold Rawlings gives an illustration that shows the practical nature of this wonderful verse. At the age of eight, Glen Cunningham's legs were so badly burned in an explosion at his school that doctors recommended amputating both legs. Young Glen, though, was so insistent on keeping his legs that his parents would not allow it. The doctors predicted he might never walk normally again. But Glen had a positive attitude as well as a strong religious faith. Through hard work and perseverance, Cunningham later became a great distance runner. In addition to winning many races, in 1934, he set the world record for the mile run at 4:06.8, a record which stood for a number of years. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31, "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."

Some of the most admired men and women in history have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The word "never" does not have to be the final word. Running may be just about a thing of the past for those of us who are seniors. But walking still plays a major part in our everyday lives. How great is our God to give us the strength and ability to perform both these functions! We ought never to take them for granted. When necessity dictates the need for rapid movement, we sometimes need to run. Other times only call for general, everyday walking – plodding along at menial tasks that do not require as much energy or preparation. But whether we need to run or to walk, God gives the ability to perform the things that He has ordained for us to do. The option we must not allow is inaction – doing simply nothing when we are often capable of doing much more for Him.Of course, many dear saints and others might only be capable of lying down for one reason or another. Yet even then our Saviour provides comfort and fellowship, when all we feel capable of is praying.

Lying down, running,or walking are all tasks which He has for us. We must simply wait upon Him, as the verse tells us, so that we may know how to do whichever function He has for us to perform. But the best part of it all is that regardless of our level of activity, He is there to help us still. He gives the renewal of our strength, providing the lift to get our “wings”moving again. Blessed be His Name!