I cannot read Isaiah 40 without thinking about the movie Chariots of Fire, featuring the story of Eric Liddell, the British olympian and missionary to China. Here Liddell reads a section of Isaiah 40, and if you’ve never seen the movie, or watched it in a long time, it’s well worth the effort of punching those keys on your remote.

I also find the words of Isaiah encouraging for those of us non-olympian types. In a couple of weeks my wife and I will walk a section of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage in Northern Spain. Covering 70 miles in 6 days, the hopefulness—they will walk and not be faint—stands out to me. Sore feet and achy muscles go with the experience, a long walk in the same direction.

A long walk in the same direction also represents our life of faith. Which makes these words from Isaiah especially significant:

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.

Amen. Let’s hope in the Lord, and renew our strength.

Isaiah 40 in week thirty-six of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Rachel McDermott