To Them That Have No Might He Increaseth Strength: Isaiah 40:29

Biblical Series #6

Isaiah 40:29-31

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 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.

Weakness is the West’s affliction. Around 80 years ago, American men were getting drafted to go and fight the Nazis on the western front, having no idea if they would return. Sure they were scared, and sure the American soldiers were actually peeing their pants as they got off the boats onto the beaches of Normandy, but despite their fear, they got off those boats, and they took that damn beach. These were brave men. These were admirable men. These were men who knew that nothing great was accomplished through weakness, and they knew that if they were going to save the world, strength was not an afterthought, it was a prerequisite.

Where is that strength today? The West has mostly lost the ideals of these men, and instead has traded it for fear and conformity. In fact, it is better today in America to be weak and coy, and it is heralded as virtuous to be a follower. The days of what Nietzsche would call The Last Men are upon us, and instead of revolting against this malady, most embrace it. There are many reasons for this, but above all, it is the decline of belief in God.

On D-Day, soldiers prayed to God before their landing on the beach. They made their peace and prayed with their brothers in arms, asking for God’s protection and asking Him to give them strength. These men knew they got their strength from God, not from some random cosmic event or subjective moral principle. As God has declined in the West, people do not have anywhere to look for meaning and strength when the world comes crashing down around them or when dealing with the hardships of life. They still crave meaning, and they still want strength, but they search in the wrong places.

Life is hard, there is no doubt about that. But when life is at its most difficult, this is when we must look outside of ourselves, and look to God. He is the one who gives us the strength to keep fighting and to press on, and without Him, we are nothing. For too long the American people have looked for an easy life, devoid of pain and suffering. A life where evil does not have to be confronted, and passivity and comfort are key tenets of your existence. But this is a fault. Instead of looking for a life without challenges and discomfort, we should be looking for the strength to take on a difficult one. If America turns once again towards God in our hardest moments, and we put our faith in Him, we will find that God will never forsake us. But if we continue on the path we are on, forsaking Him and prizing cowardice as virtue, we will lose our best ally, and I assure you, we will lose this fight.

-Will Witt