The Lifestyle of Hope: Soar, Run, and Walk in God's Strength
- Lee Young
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
As we finish our time with Isaiah 40:31 today, we see how the lifestyle of hope can move us. The Holy Spirit gives us three movements to describe the effect of living with hope in our hearts. We soar, run, and walk. These are not all different movements happening at various times, but they represent different movements of the heart where our hope resides.
We soar.
To be lifted in freedom like an eagle. An eagle moves through the air effortlessly, floating on the wind. He can see from the most incredible heights. Nothing can blind the eagle from the terrain, the surroundings, food, and provisions.
When we bind ourselves to the Lord through the lifestyle of hope, the effect is freedom. We rest on the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not hindered by stress, worry, or fear. We move freely. The Scripture teaches us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17), and this freedom is ours. Being near to the Lord, He gives us His mind of discernment to see. We see from the heights, but we know how the Lord is working to provide all that we need.
We run.
There is a speed to our path through difficulties. Without hope, time slows. But when there is hope as we stick near to the Lord with joyful expectation, the time we have with Him flies by. And the length of our suffering passes quickly. We are reminded in Scripture that when we trust the Lord with all our heart, He makes our paths straight. We do not wander in the desert as the Israelites did, but we move quickly through the shadow of death.
We walk.
The beauty of hope’s lifestyle becomes our desire. It becomes a chosen path, the way we walk through this life. It is not something we aspire to occasionally, but with each valley, the lifestyle of hope becomes a time of intimacy with God that we would never trade for anything else. The warmth of His presence is precious. Our instincts are adapted to stay near Him in joyful expectation. This is the path we tread as our usual response to trouble.
In this, we renew our inner strength. Our strength is not only in the moment, but within our overall being. We never leave a difficult time without becoming stronger. All that the enemy will attempt to do in our lives will cause a strengthening of our spirit to be so intense that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to walk in the lifestyle of hope that my suffering not linger and my soul soars in the joy of Your might. Amen.
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