Ogunquit Baptist Church

“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.” Isaiah 40:30-31

May is really spring in Maine, isn’t it? I mean, April is kind-of spring—you never know when it might get cold again, or even might snow again, right up through even the last week of April! But when May rolls around, life truly begins to return to Maine, trees and flowers bud, actual warmer weather reliably comes. You can mostly turn off your pellet stove, except maybe early in the morning! Every year in May, God brings warmth and life back to Maine, and after a long winter, we rejoice in it…even those of us who like the snow!

God is the giver or life, the bringer of renewal. That’s an important truth for people who live in a fallen world, for people who live under the specter of death. It’s so easy to become tired and weary. It’s easy to become physically drained, but I think it’s especially easy to become emotionally and spiritually drained in the days we live in. There just seems to be so much angst, conflict, and foolishness everywhere these days. And as we look around and see our culture turning its back on God, it’s very easy to become disheartened. It will happen to even the most optimistic and naturally happy people when we try to live and find happiness in this world.

That’s why it’s important for us to remember where true happiness comes from: God. He who is able to renew the face of the earth with life, warmth and energy every spring is able to renew our hearts and spirits when we are disheartened. He who is able to bring new life to the body of Jesus Christ, so that He could leap out of the grave on the third day, can also bring life back to us, physically, but also emotionally and spiritually! If we make Him our source of peace, joy and strength, we will never be wanting a sure source of those things. When we get tired and weary, we can draw from Him!

So, trust in Him always! Yes, we need to rely on Him every day, because the drain on our peace, joy and strength never ends in this world. This world will destroy your peace, steal your joy and sap your strength every day if you don’t have an overwhelming source of those things to draw on. But we DO have such a source, if we connect ourselves to it—to Him! This is why, if we want to be victorious in this life in this fallen world, we MUST keep our hearts and minds focused on Jesus Christ, determined to walk with Him and talk with Him and follow Him every day! If we do that, we can walk through this life and not grow faint, run the race God has laid before us and not be weary, we can even do things that seem impossible for man—we can soar on wings like eagles—we can be  victorious in spite of troubles—and have the peace that passes understanding—or at least passes this world’s understanding—the peace that comes from true faith and true trust in God! Let’s grasp on to that peace and strength and fly!

In Christ, Pastor Jeff