August 31

He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. — Isa 40:29 BSB

The Lord often grants His people the power to take a longing, desperate look at the blood and righteousness of Jesus, much like Esther approaching the king, saying, “I will go in, and if I perish, I perish.” This resolve is echoed in the four lepers of Samaria who, facing death by famine, decided to approach the Syrian camp, saying, “If they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die” (2 Kings 7:3-4). Similarly, the people of God, in moments of great despair, come to the foot of the cross, saying, “If I perish, I will perish at His feet.” Even if the Lord gives no immediate answer, they cling to Him, pleading for His mercy.

This persistence is evidence of true power—power given by the Lord to resist despair and continue seeking His face. While trials and difficulties may sometimes leave us stunned, rendering us unable to pray, when God gives power, it stirs the heart to seek Him earnestly. As Isaiah describes, “I will wait upon the Lord, that hides His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.”

This divine power also strengthens faith, as it is the Spirit’s work to raise up living faith in the heart. It gives power to hope, anchoring the soul in God’s promises. It stirs love for the Lord and His people. Every spiritual desire, every fervent prayer, every heavenward movement of the soul, every act of trust, and every reliance on God’s promises all come from the power that God gives to the faint and feeble.