In Isaiah 40 it says, ‘even young men will stumble and fall; but those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.’ What makes us stumble and fall?
First of all, our own failures do! King David was very honest about his own failures.
In Psalm 38 he wrote, ‘My guilt has overwhelmed me … because of my sinful folly … my strength fails me.’ He acknowledged that he had become weak because of what he had done wrong. It is not always easy to admit we are wrong, but it is the only way to regain strength. Perhaps you need to pray the way David did in that same Psalm, ‘I confess my iniquity … come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour.’
Secondly, the actions of others can affect us. Let’s look at David’s life once again. In Psalm 31 he spoke about those who were slandering him and seeking to take his life. He writes, ‘My strength fails because of my affliction.’ Is your strength failing because of a difficult situation you are facing, or because of what others are doing to you? Listen to how David ends that Psalm. ‘The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.’
There are things we go through that may make us weak and weary, or we may even stumble and fall. However God has made a wonderful provision for us. He invites us to exchange our weakness for his strength.
