June 11

But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. — Isa 40:31 BSB

How different is the religion of a living soul compared to that of a mere dead professor! The religion of a dead professor starts in self and ends in self—it begins with his own wisdom and ends in his own folly. It starts with his own strength and ends in his own weakness. It begins in his own righteousness and ultimately leads to his own condemnation. There is no reaching out of his soul toward God, no genuine communion with the Lord, no acts of faith upon the divine nature.

But the child of God, though often faint, weary, and burdened by many trials and sorrows, is stirred when the Lord renews his strength. He soars aloft, pressing forward in faith and love, ascending into the very presence of the Most High. A living soul is never satisfied with anything less than true union and communion with the Lord of life and glory. Everything short of this leaves it feeling empty. All that this world offers—the things of time and sense—leave the child of God dissatisfied. Only vital union and communion with the Lord, tasting His love, feeling His presence, and seeing His glory, will ever fulfill the desires of a redeemed and regenerated soul. This is the blessing that the Lord bestows on His people.

“They shall renew their strength.” They won’t always be lying down, groaning in defeat, swooning away under the wounds caused by sin. They won’t always be bound by the chains of the world or hunted like a partridge on the mountains. There will be a renewal of their strength, and in that renewal, “they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”