Perseverance – Isaiah 40:31 – Highway of Holiness

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

The distraught young woman wept in sorrow. She had been through hardship upon hardship, all the while struggling to remain steadfast in her faith, trusting in the Lord. She had persevered through trials and disappointments while maintaining a precarious hold on the promises written in the Word, but as the days melted into months, and the months into years, her grip slipped, and she collapsed emotionally.

As she shared how she had trusted the Lord in the past but had depleted her supply of hope, the question arose in her listener’s mind as to why she had stopped trusting in God. In compassion, the friend who sat beside her encouraged her not to give up, but rather to walk in faith, not sight.[1] She assured her of God’s faithfulness to do that which He has promised while performing His good purposes in her life and preparing her for a future of well-being, not calamity.[2] Refreshed by prayer and wise counsel, the young woman stepped back onto the Highway of Holiness, setting her eyes once again on Jesus as she determined to get through each day, one day at a time, in the Lord’s grace, walking toward His glory.

Many will find this story familiar since we sometimes set a boundary on our faith. If our trials extend beyond that boundary, we give in to anger, fear, or hopelessness. In our humanness, we are tempted to lose heart when struggling through prolonged difficulties; however, we do so to our peril. God is our only hope as we cross over troubled waters. He alone can keep us in unwavering peace and absolute safety as the gales swirl about us,[3] and He will, for He will not allow one of His beloved to perish. Rather, at the appropriate time, He will hush the raging sea and rebuke the turbulent wind, bringing about the welcome calm that follows a storm.[4]

Remember that a thousand years are like one day with the Lord,[5] and rejoice in His faithfulness to supply all our needs as surely as He directs the tide and the wind. Therefore, do not falter or faint. Fix your eyes on Jesus, and run with endurance the race set before you.[6] Make the Lord your delight, letting your love for Him burn ever more brightly, and believe the promise that the Lord saves those who endure to the end.[7]

Press on through the wilderness
Though your heart cries in distress
Your sight may see but barren waste
And all the enemies you face

But stay the course; pursue the prize
For in God’s time, you’ll realize
That beauty lies around the bend
In faithfulness, you will transcend

The present trials that you endure
Soaring to places wide and pure
Rising high on angels’ wings
In the joy that God’s love brings

[1] 2 Corinthians 5:7

[2] Jeremiah 29:11

[3] Psalm 4:8

[4] Mark 4:39

[5] 2 Peter 3:8

[6] Hebrews 12:1-3

[7] Matthew 24:13