The verse Isaiah 40:31 is one of the most beloved promises in all of Scripture: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” For centuries, weary souls have turned to these words for hope, encouragement, and strength in times of trial. But what do they really mean? To grasp the full significance of this promise, we need to understand the context of Isaiah 40, the meaning of waiting on God, the imagery of renewal, and how these truths apply to our daily walk with Christ.
The context of Isaiah 40 is deeply important. The people of Israel were in exile, feeling abandoned and defeated, wondering if God had forgotten them. The chapter begins with a word of comfort—“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God”—and then moves into a breathtaking description of God’s majesty, sovereignty, and power over creation.
Isaiah contrasts the weakness and frailty of humanity with the everlasting strength of God. People grow tired, nations rise and fall, even the strongest young men stumble, but God does not grow weary. The climax of this chapter comes in verse 31, where the prophet declares that those who trust in God will exchange their weakness for His strength. It is a promise of renewal not rooted in human effort but in divine power.
Understanding Isaiah 40:31
The verse begins with the phrase, “they that wait upon the Lord.” The Hebrew word used here, ‘qavah’, conveys more than simply waiting passively. It means to hope, to trust, to look forward with eager expectation. It is the kind of waiting that rests not on idleness but on confident dependence. To wait upon the Lord is to recognize that our strength is not enough and to lean fully into His sufficiency. It is an act of surrender that places our trust in His timing, His plan, and His promises. This kind of waiting is difficult in a culture that prizes instant results, but it is in the waiting that we discover the depth of God’s faithfulness.
The next phrase, “shall renew their strength,” paints a picture of divine exchange. The word “renew” literally means to replace or exchange one thing for another. This means that when we wait upon God, we do not merely regain a little more energy or push forward in our own willpower. Instead, our human weakness is exchanged for God’s divine strength. This echoes the truth found throughout Scripture:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Renewal is not self-improvement; it is divine empowerment.
The imagery then shifts to soaring: “they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” The eagle is a powerful biblical symbol of strength and freedom. Unlike smaller birds that flap frantically to stay airborne, eagles soar effortlessly on thermal currents, rising higher and higher with seemingly little effort.
To mount up with wings as eagles is to rise above the storms of life, carried not by our own strength but by the Spirit of God. It is a picture of transcendence—of living above the chaos, gaining perspective, and resting in God’s sustaining power. Just as God said to Israel in Exodus 19:4, “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself,” so He promises to carry His people today.
The verse continues, “they shall run and not be weary.” This speaks to the endurance that God gives His children. Life is often described in Scripture as a race (Hebrews 12:1–2), and the Christian journey is not a sprint but a marathon. In our own strength, we quickly grow weary, but in God’s strength we are given the ability to press on, even when obstacles and trials surround us. This is not merely about physical stamina but about spiritual perseverance—the ability to keep the faith and finish the race God has set before us.
Finally, Isaiah declares, “they shall walk and not faint.” While running may symbolize great achievements or seasons of intense spiritual passion, walking represents the daily, ordinary faithfulness of life. Most of our days are not spent soaring like eagles or sprinting like runners but walking step by step in steady obedience. God promises that even here—in the small routines of life—He sustains us so we will not collapse under the weight of daily burdens. Walking without fainting is a picture of God’s sustaining grace in the ordinary.
Together, these images form a holistic vision of renewal: soaring in moments of transcendence, running with endurance in times of great effort, and walking faithfully in daily life. All of this flows not from human resolve but from waiting upon the Lord.
Meaning of Isaiah 40:31
The deeper meaning of Isaiah 40:31 rests on a profound theological truth: God alone is the source of strength and renewal, while human power is inherently limited. Earlier in the chapter, Isaiah emphasizes that even the strongest people eventually grow weary. Youths stumble and fall, the vitality of the young fades, and human endurance has limits.
Yet in stark contrast, Isaiah declares that God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, never grows tired or weary. His strength is inexhaustible, His wisdom unsearchable. This sets up the essential truth of verse 31—when God’s people learn to wait upon Him, they receive not just more of their own strength but an infusion of His strength.
This is not about self-reliance but about dependence. The verse reveals a divine paradox: we are strongest when we admit our weakness and lean on God’s power. Paul later echoes this truth when he recounts how God told him, “
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
What Isaiah anticipated, Paul experienced—when human resources run dry, divine resources take over. The result is not exhaustion but renewal, not collapse but perseverance.
Theologically, Isaiah 40:31 also reminds us of the covenant faithfulness of God. The promise of renewal is not random but anchored in God’s relationship with His people. He had not abandoned Israel in exile, though they felt forsaken. His message to them was not merely “hold on” but “trust Me, for I will carry you.” The imagery of the eagle connects directly to God’s covenant language in Exodus 19:4, where He told the Israelites, “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” This continuity shows that God’s care is consistent throughout history. He does not change—just as He carried Israel then, He carries His people now.
Another key theological layer lies in the nature of waiting. In our culture, waiting often implies frustration or wasted time. But biblical waiting is deeply relational. It is about placing confident trust in the God who is faithful. Waiting is not passive; it is active reliance, a posture of expectation that God will fulfill His promises.
It involves prayer, hope, and endurance. To wait upon the Lord is to relinquish control and to rest in the certainty that His timing and His purposes are always good. This theological posture keeps us from despair, because our hope is not tied to circumstances but to the unchanging character of God.
The verse also reflects God’s holistic care for His people. Renewal is not limited to one area of life. The imagery of soaring, running, and walking suggests that God sustains us in every dimension: in moments of vision and inspiration, in seasons of hard labor and perseverance, and in the ordinary rhythms of daily discipleship. This tells us that God’s strength is not only for the extraordinary but also for the everyday. Whether facing overwhelming challenges or simply trying to remain faithful in the mundane, His promise holds true.
Ultimately, Isaiah 40:31 points us forward to Christ, the one through whom the fullness of God’s renewing power is made available. Jesus Himself embodied complete dependence on the Father, often withdrawing to pray and wait on God. In His humanity, He experienced weariness, but He also demonstrated the perfect example of renewal through reliance on His Father.
And through His death and resurrection, He now offers His Spirit to believers, empowering them with strength that surpasses human limitation. The renewal Isaiah foresaw is fully realized in the life of the Spirit-filled Christian.
Biblical Examples of Strength and Renewal
The promise of Isaiah 40:31 is not an abstract idea but one that has been demonstrated throughout Scripture in the lives of those who waited upon God. Again and again, we see ordinary men and women renewed with extraordinary strength, not because of their own ability but because God sustained them.
Consider Moses. When God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses immediately felt inadequate. He stuttered, he feared rejection, and he doubted his own ability to carry such a weighty responsibility. Yet, as Moses leaned on God, he found strength to confront Pharaoh, endure Israel’s complaints, and persevere through forty years in the wilderness.
His strength was not in himself but in the God who bore Israel “on eagles’ wings” and sustained them day by day. Moses’ story reminds us that renewal comes through dependence, not self-confidence.
David also experienced God’s renewing power. At one point, when his men threatened to stone him because of a devastating loss, David could have despaired. Instead, Scripture says,
“David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
Out of that place of renewal, he was able to lead his men to victory and recovery. David’s life shows us that even in seasons of grief and betrayal, waiting on God brings fresh courage and strength to press on.
Elijah’s experience offers another striking picture. After his dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah collapsed in despair, fleeing into the wilderness and praying for death. He was exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet God did not abandon him.
Instead, He sent an angel to provide food and rest, and then renewed Elijah’s strength for the journey ahead (1 Kings 19:4–8). This story illustrates that renewal often comes in simple, quiet ways—through God’s tender care in moments of exhaustion. Elijah went from despair to perseverance, not because his circumstances changed immediately, but because God sustained him.
Paul’s testimony in the New Testament gives perhaps the clearest articulation of Isaiah 40:31’s truth. In 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, Paul describes how he pleaded with God to remove a “thorn in the flesh,” a source of ongoing weakness or suffering. Instead of removing it, God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul concluded that he would boast all the more gladly about his weaknesses, “for when I am weak, then I am strong.” His endurance through persecution, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and beatings was only possible because he continually drew upon God’s renewing strength. Paul ran the race with perseverance and walked faithfully to the very end because he waited upon the Lord.
These biblical examples highlight a profound reality: renewal is not reserved for the strong, the courageous, or the capable. It is a gift for the weary, the overwhelmed, and the weak—those who confess their dependence on God. From Moses to Paul, the pattern is clear: those who wait upon the Lord find strength to rise above their trials, to endure the race set before them, and to walk faithfully day by day.
Practical Applications for Christians Today
Isaiah 40:31 is not just a promise for Israel in exile or for heroes of faith in the Bible; it is a living word for every believer who feels weary, discouraged, or uncertain today. All of us, at some point, come to the end of our strength. We experience burnout in our work, exhaustion in relationships, disappointment in unfulfilled dreams, or the heaviness of grief. This verse reminds us that when our own strength runs out, God invites us to lean on His, and in doing so, He provides renewal in ways we could never produce ourselves.
One application is learning to cultivate the discipline of waiting. In a culture that prizes speed and instant gratification, waiting feels uncomfortable and even wasteful. But Isaiah tells us that waiting is the very place where renewal happens. Waiting on the Lord means pausing long enough to pray, to reflect, to sit in God’s presence, and to remind ourselves that His timing is perfect.
It means resisting the urge to rush ahead in our own power and instead trusting that God will act at the right time. For a weary believer, waiting can be one of the most faith-filled actions we take.
Another application is finding renewal through prayer and Scripture. Just as Elijah was fed by God in the wilderness, so too are we nourished when we turn to the Word and to the presence of God in prayer. Renewal comes when we bring our burdens before Him, cast our cares on Him, and allow His promises to lift our hearts.
Many Christians have experienced seasons when they come to prayer drained and leave with new strength—not because their circumstances changed instantly, but because their perspective shifted and their hearts were steadied in God’s presence.
Isaiah’s imagery of soaring, running, and walking also applies to the rhythms of Christian life. There are times when God lifts us up like eagles, giving us vision and clarity that carries us beyond our struggles. There are seasons when we must run, persevering through trials or pouring ourselves into ministry, and in those times, God provides the endurance to keep going.
And there are long stretches when our faith feels less like soaring or running and more like walking—ordinary, consistent, step-by-step obedience. Even here, Isaiah promises, God sustains us so we do not faint. This truth encourages us to see God’s hand not only in the extraordinary moments but in the quiet routines of daily discipleship.
Isaiah 40:31 also speaks to those who face emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Many today feel weighed down by anxiety, fear, or a sense of hopelessness. This verse offers hope: renewal is possible, but it comes not from striving harder but from surrendering deeper.
To wait upon the Lord is to exchange despair for hope, weakness for strength, and weariness for endurance. It reminds us that God does not expect us to carry the weight of life on our own shoulders; He invites us to let Him bear it for us.
Finally, Isaiah 40:31 challenges us to view weakness not as failure but as the very place where God’s power is revealed. When we acknowledge our limits, we open ourselves to God’s limitless strength. Our culture often tells us to push harder, dig deeper, and rely on ourselves, but Scripture calls us to a better way—to yield, to trust, and to let God renew us. In doing so, we testify to the world that our strength does not come from ourselves but from the Lord.
Real-Life Application of Isaiah 40:31
One of the most striking features of Isaiah 40:31 is the imagery of the eagle: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.” God could have used many different images to describe renewal, but He chose the eagle, a bird that carries profound symbolic meaning in both Scripture and creation.
The eagle is often seen as a symbol of majesty, strength, and freedom. Unlike smaller birds that constantly flap their wings to stay aloft, eagles rise high into the sky with seemingly effortless grace. They do this by using thermal updrafts—currents of warm air—that carry them upward.
Instead of relying on frantic exertion, they depend on the unseen currents to lift them higher and higher. This image perfectly captures what it means to wait upon the Lord. Renewal does not come from frantic striving but from surrendering to the Spirit of God, who lifts us beyond our struggles and gives us a higher perspective.
In Scripture, eagles appear as symbols of God’s protective care. In Exodus 19:4, God tells Israel,
“I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
This is an image of deliverance, safety, and God’s power to carry His people when they could not carry themselves. Similarly, in Deuteronomy 32:11–12, God is compared to an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, spreading its wings to catch them and bearing them aloft. This metaphor shows God’s nurturing and sustaining presence, especially when His people are vulnerable.
The eagle also symbolizes renewal and vitality. Ancient people observed how eagles seemed to live long lives and molt, shedding old feathers and growing new ones. This process was sometimes viewed as a kind of renewal, which connects beautifully to Isaiah’s promise of strength being renewed for the weary. Just as the eagle grows stronger and refreshed, so God’s people receive continual renewal when they rely on Him.
There is also a perspective element in the eagle’s imagery. Eagles soar far above the earth, giving them a view that other creatures cannot see. In the same way, when God renews us, He lifts us above the immediate storms and trials, granting us perspective rooted in His sovereignty. We see our struggles not as endless chaos but as temporary challenges under the control of a mighty God. From this vantage point, faith grows stronger, and peace replaces fear.
Finally, the eagle points us to the freedom God gives His children. Just as an eagle is not bound to the ground but soars freely in the skies, so too does God invite His people to rise above sin, fear, and despair. Renewal in God is not just survival—it is a lifting into new freedom, purpose, and joy that cannot be explained apart from His Spirit.
Thus, the eagle in Isaiah 40:31 is not just a poetic flourish but a profound picture of what it means to wait upon the Lord. It teaches us that God carries us when we cannot carry ourselves, renews us when we feel worn down, gives us vision when our perspective is clouded, and grants us freedom when life feels heavy. To mount up with wings as eagles is to experience a kind of spiritual elevation that only God can provide.
Strength and Renewal in Christ
While Isaiah 40:31 was originally spoken to Israel in exile, its message stretches beyond that moment in history. For Christians, this promise of renewed strength reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is the one who embodies God’s sustaining presence and offers believers the true source of strength that endures beyond human limitations.
In His own life, Jesus modeled what it means to wait upon the Lord. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him withdrawing to solitary places to pray, seeking renewal from His Father. Though He was the Son of God, He lived in continual dependence on the Father, showing us the way to find strength not through self-reliance but through surrender.
Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He faced the greatest trial of His earthly life, Jesus prayed in anguish yet submitted fully to God’s will. His strength to endure the cross came not from human resolve but from divine empowerment.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for believers to experience the same renewal Isaiah promised. At the cross, He took our weaknesses, our sins, and our failures, and in exchange, He gave us His life and strength. Paul captures this divine exchange in Philippians 4:13:
The renewal Isaiah foresaw is not merely about physical stamina but about spiritual transformation through union with Christ.
The New Testament also connects this promise to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” This daily renewal is the Spirit’s work, empowering believers with courage, perseverance, and joy even when outward circumstances remain difficult. It is the Spirit who lifts us, like eagles on the wind, giving us perspective, strength, and hope.
Christ’s resurrection further assures us that renewal is not temporary but eternal. Isaiah’s words point not only to strength for the present but also to the ultimate renewal when God makes all things new. Revelation 21:4 describes the day when God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more mourning or pain. In that moment, the promise of Isaiah 40:31 will reach its fullness—God’s people will be lifted forever into His presence, never again to grow weary or faint.
For Christians today, Isaiah 40:31 is therefore more than encouragement—it is a Christ-centered reality. When we are weary from sin, we find forgiveness and strength in the cross. When we stumble in our daily walk, we are renewed by the Spirit who lives within us. And when we feel hopeless about the future, we remember the resurrection of Christ as the guarantee that one day, our weakness will give way to eternal strength in God’s kingdom.
The promise of renewal in Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that our strength is not measured by our abilities, resources, or resilience but by our dependence on Jesus. He is the one who sustains us when we soar, when we run, and when we walk. He is the one who ensures that we will not faint, because His Spirit continually breathes life into weary hearts.
Conclusion
The message of Isaiah 40:31 could not be more relevant for those who feel weary and burdened today. Life has a way of draining us. Responsibilities pile up, unexpected trials arise, and even our best efforts sometimes seem insufficient. In those moments, it is tempting to believe that God has forgotten us or that we must somehow summon more strength from within. But Isaiah reminds us that renewal does not come from digging deeper into our own reserves—it comes from looking upward to the everlasting God who never grows tired or weary.
This verse is an anthem for the weary soul. It speaks directly to the one who feels like they can no longer run, who can barely keep walking, who longs to rise above the storms of life but feels weighed down by fear, grief, or exhaustion. God’s promise is simple yet profound: if you wait on Him, if you lean into His presence and trust in His timing, He will exchange your weakness for His strength. He will lift you like an eagle on the wind, give you endurance for the race, and sustain you step by step in the ordinary walk of faith.
What is striking is how personal this promise is. God is not offering a distant encouragement but a present reality—His strength for your weakness, His hope for your despair, His power for your frailty. This is why the verse is often memorized, quoted, and cherished: it reminds believers that no matter how heavy life becomes, they are not alone. The God who carried Israel through exile and sustained His people through countless trials is the same God who carries us today.
The conclusion is clear: Isaiah 40:31 is not a call to muster up our own strength but an invitation to rest in God’s. It is a reminder that waiting on the Lord is never wasted time, because it is in the waiting that we are renewed. It is a promise that no storm, no trial, no season of exhaustion is greater than the God who lifts us above it. And it is a call to trust that in Christ, our strength will always be renewed, not just for this life but for eternity.
So, to the weary heart, Isaiah’s words are a beacon of hope: keep waiting, keep trusting, keep looking to the Lord. You may feel weak, but in Him, you are strong. You may feel faint, but in Him, you will endure. You may feel grounded by the storms, but in Him, you will soar on wings like eagles.
