To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Week 7, Day 5 – Hope Turns Weaklings into Eagles

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

     the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary,

     his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

     and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

     and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

     they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

     they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28–31

Although modern culture tries to portray men as pathetic and ineffectual losers who have little ambition and no sense of purpose, most men hate to be perceived as timid or unsuccessful. Because of society’s perceptions of men, we often feel that if we just work harder and get tougher, we will accomplish all our goals in life. We can fall prey to the false notion that relying on God strips us of our identity. In truth, yielding to the Almighty transforms how we understand in the deepest sense what it means to be a man.

When we become new creations in Christ, hope transforms us from weaklings into soaring eagles. We move forward in faith, striving with his strength and living a renewed and meaningful existence. Who we are is fundamentally changed. We no longer perceive loss and gain in terms of worldly achievement or wealth. Rather, we seek our true victory, which comes from Christ. Remade in the image of Christ, we are ready to use our gifts in his service, relying on God as our strength and our source of victory.

Questions for Reflection

Do you see a difference between the man you are now and the man you were before you deepened your commitment to God? What are some of the key aspects of that difference?

Do you see yourself as a new man in Christ?

How has surrendering to Christ changed the way you view your life calling and your work?

Praying with Scripture

The LORD is my strength and my song; / he has become my salvation. (Ps 118:14)

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