Lift Me Up by The Afters

The power of this song and this video is amazing!  And it’s amazing because it’s true!  God is our comforter and the lifter of our heads.  In the worse possible circumstances, remember God loves you and his plans give you a future and a hope.  He lifts you up in your sin, your sorrows, and your weakness and renews you if you have faith in him. When you fall down, where do you look for help and comfort?

Read Isaiah 40:28-31 J

1.     Verse 28 - “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.”

A.    ”…The Lord is the everlasting God…” – He never changes or is unavailable.

I.              Everlasting - Lasting forever; eternal. Continuing indefinitely or for a long period of time. (http://www.dictionary.com/)  - God is everlasting.  He doesn’t shift in His ways.  He is infinite and never will grow old and weak.

II.             Psalms 106:1 “Praise the Lord!  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever…”

B.    “…the creator of the ends of the earth…” – He created everything! He has so much power and everything you see he has made.

I.              Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created by Him and for Him…”

II.             Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”

III.            Psalms 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God…”

C.    “…He does not faint or grow weary…” – To put this in simple terms, God is …well…God.  He isn’t a human, so He doesn’t have human needs.  He never gets tired or hungry.  He never gets weary or faint, because He can’t be sick. So rest in Him and He will give you strength.

D.    “…His understanding is unsearchable…”

I.              The Greek word for unsearchable is anexerév̱ni̱tos meaning unexplored.  We do not understand God's purpose for everything, and we will never be able to.

2.     Verse 29- “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength…” – He will give you what you can’t get on your own!  He will be with you to give you strength.

A.      “…gives power to the faint…”

I.                    Psalm 82:4 “Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked…” –   David knew God could deliver and rescue him.
.B.    “…to him who has no might He increases strength…”

I.              1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time…”

II.             Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” – In the second section of this verse, David states that since he trusts in the Lord, he is helped.

III.            Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him…”

3.       Verse 30- “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted…” – At one time, even the people with the most energy and strength will grow tired without God.  We need Him!

A.      “… youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted…”

I.              Psalm 103:5 “Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle…” – The writer is comparing youth with an eagle.  Eagles are often used as a symbol of strength in the bible.  God will give us the strength, but we need to ask!

4.     Verse 31- “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

A.    This whole verse is giving different examples of what will happen when the Lord renews their strength.  Something that comes across my mind when reading this is exhaustion in sin.  Once Jesus Christ takes that away, we are renewed and strengthened. 

I.              1 Peter 4:11 “whoever speaks, as  one of who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – This verse specifically says that God supplies us strength.  Now, what do you do with this strength?  God gives you strength so that you can grow stronger as a Christian and glorify his name. So use it for that!

*Final Note- He lifts us up when we are down. He comforts us. He delivers us from our sins and sorrows. He is our God and our Savior! Let go of the sorrows and issues you've been dealing with and give them to God, in exchange for strength and comfort!