DEVOTION – DAY 431

Isaiah 40:28-29 “Trust God To Strengthen You”

Isaiah 40:28-29 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

The prophet Isaiah wrote these verses to encourage his people. He reminded them of whom God is. He is the everlasting God – He is eternal and the same yesterday, today and forever. He is also the creator of everything. He never grows tired or weary. Thus, God is able to deliver and restore His people if they will wait in faith for God to act. They are to trust in Him and to draw strength from Him. The encouragement that Isaiah wanted to give to the people of Israel in his time is also applicable to all of us today. This is because God remains the same for He is eternal and He is all-powerful.

Eleanor Macomber was born in 1801 in USA. When she was 29, she was appointed as a missionary and sent to reach American Indians in Michigan. She did that for a few years. But she became ill and had to stop her work to recuperate. She trusted the Lord to restore her. When she was well again, she was sent to be a missionary in Myanmar. She arrived there in 1836. She was assigned to reach the Pwo Karen people, a people group whose language was unknown to any foreigner. The people were in a region covered by jungle where no foreigners had been before. She could only trust in God and in verses like Isaiah 40:28-31. The verses reminded her that what she cannot do, God would be able to do. To prepare, she spent some weeks at Tavoy, where she learnt some basics of the Karen language. On reaching the remote area of the Karen people, she sought out the local chief. She refused to leave his hut until he gave his reluctant permission for her to stay in the village. The chief was known to be a hard-headed drunkard. 

Despite such obstacles, Eleanor used whatever simple words she could think of to start sharing the gospel to the locals. Soon, an old man in the village was converted. Then, the chief’s wife was converted, and to the amazement of all, the chief became a devout Christian. Soon, the chief’s large family was converted. He success was quickly met with opposition. Other Karen people were alarmed at the conversions in their midst. They surrounded her house at night, yelling and throwing stones. She was forbidden to enter many houses. Several attempts were made to burn down her house. Throughout, Eleanor trusted God to protect her. The church grew despite the opposition faced. She continued her work until she caught jungle fever and died in 1840 at the age of 39. She was fruitful because she trusted in God. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we worship you as the Eternal Almighty God. In you, we place our faith, trust and hope. Please help us to do great things for you and for your glory. We humbly pray in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. When you are faced with obstacles and problems that seemed overwhelming, to whom do you naturally turn to for help? Share.
  2. How do these verses in Isaiah 40:28-31 help you to turn to God and trust in Him always?
  3. What “impossible” situation you encountered that god helped you through? Share.
  4. Why should you trust and have faith in God always? Discuss.