To New Heights

To New Heights

Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

LONG DELAYS IN THE LIFE OF FAITH can wear us down. Our faith itself doesn’t grow cold or heavy, but our assumptions and misperceptions about God’s timing and means can seem to choke the faith out of us and leave us awfully disoriented. We long for resolution and fulfillment, and God’s plans so often seem to stretch the process out. We become weak, tired, and powerless, wondering how long we can continue holding on.

God offers encouraging words to the weak, tired, and powerless. He promises new strength, soaring heights, and a spirit of endurance. He energizes our legs for the distance, revives our hearts with expectations, and reaffirms his purposes once again. Like a marathon runner who gets to that point of exhilaration where he or she forgets the pain and fatigue of the race, renewed faith takes us to new heights. We feel as if we could wait forever, though we hope we won’t have to. The assurances of God give us patience and joy in the meantime.

How do we get to such heights? They are a gift for “those who trust in the LORD.” The more we exercise trust—that place of rest in the spirit that comes when we lean back into his goodness—the more our strength and energy are renewed. We can’t ascend to new heights by trying, and we can’t give rest to our legs by stopping. But when we feel like we can’t go back and can’t go on, we can remember the kindness and faithfulness of the one we believe. We can reaffirm our trust in him and discover his strength for our need.

Whenever you find yourself in that awful, awkward place of not being able to move forward in faith and not being able to go back to the beginning—that sense of being stuck or suspended without any resolution in sight—reaffirm your trust. Tell God you need strength and ask him for encouragement. Soon enough, your energy will return, your wings will spread, and you will see from a higher perspective. Your faith will look different from above.

The principal part of faith is patience.