This passage has been rattling around in my head the past few days. Actually I was remembering the off-key singing of the big guy, Lastik, in Remember the Titans when he is trying to help motivate and encourage the team and he sings the phrase, “even the youth shall grow weary … but they who wait on The Lord will mount up with wings like the eagles (y’all).”
The Message says it like this: “Have you not been paying attention? Have you not been listening? Haven’t you heard these stories all your life? Don’t you understand the foundation of all things? God sits high above the round ball of earth. The people look like mere ants. He stretches out the skies like a canvas—yes, like a tent canvas to live under. He ignores what all the princes say and do. The rulers of the earth count for nothing. Princes and rulers don’t amount to much. Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,they shrivel when God blows on them. Like flecks of chaff, they’re gone with the wind. “So—who is like me? Who holds a candle to me?” says The Holy. Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of stars out each night,counts them off, calls each by name—so magnificent! so powerful!—and never overlooks a single one? Why would you ever complain saying,“God has lost track of me.He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,they run and don’t get tired,they walk and don’t lag behind!” [Isaiah 40:21-31]
I was thinking about you and how easy it is to get tired. Our world is so busy, and you have so much to balance and so much to deal with that I never did. You are barraged constantly by sexuality, profanity, negativity, and fear. The enemy is hard at work trying to make sure that all this visual noise obscures your destiny. He is hard at work because somehow, he knows that you have a call on your life that transcends the stuff of this world. So he is going to try and find things to take you out. That’s what Isaiah is talking about here when he says that even young people get tired and drop out — they stumble and fall. When I look at everything you guys have to deal with today, it’s no wonder that any of you even make it through a day without being slimed. That’s where the pure water of the Word comes in. If you stay in this book, if you wait on God and seek Him, you will get fresh strength. He energizes those who get tired of running and gives them wings to soar like an eagle. That’s a pretty cool promise. And it’s true. You can try to pull up all the reserves inside of you to make it though another day, but you simply don’t have the strength it takes. You can’t defeat the enemy’s onslaughts of doubt, discouragement, and fear by yourself. Only the power of The Lord — which is all HOPE, which is all LOVE, which is all TRUTH, which is all JOY — will give you the ability to fight against all that tries to steal your destiny.
James says that the trials in your life will work out patience. The Bible also says that these momentary light afflictions are working in you a greater weight of glory. That means that these temporary things that you are going through, even as a teenager — tension with parents, siblings driving you crazy, friends say crap about you behind your back, teachers on your case, temptation to do stuff you know you shouldn’t — these are just temporary afflictions that are working out the character in you to be one who is pure before The Lord. These trials refine you… they bring the junk up to the surface, and if you press in when things are tough, your character will be stronger and your relationship with God will be deeper, more connected.
During this time, press in. Don’t neglect His Word. It is life for you soul, food for your spirit. Find those moments during the day to breathe… to center yourself and pray. Use those opportunities when Dad blows up on you or sister gets under your skin to pray blessing for them (as hard as that is). Take a look at the stuff you dwell on and eliminate the stuff that brings fear or is against what you know to be good. The Lord has chosen you long before you were even born, for a specific purpose and you are now in that stage of life where you are seeking out who you are. He will answer you if you seek him. “Those who seek me, will find me,” Jesus says. “I will open the door to those who knock.” The whole world is walking down the wide paved highway full of distractions that have the appearance of truth. That road leads straight down to hell. The other road is a narrow twisting path, full of roots and rocks and few find it. But the reward… oh the reward. Life eternal. It’s honestly worth it to pursue this path. May you never stop seeking, never stop searching!