Isaiah 40:31: Soaring on Wings Like Eagles – A Complete Guide to Finding Renewed Strength

“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 faint.”

These powerful words from Isaiah 40:31 have inspired countless believers through exhaustion, sustained the weary through trials, and lifted the hearts of those who felt too tired to continue. This verse promises something we all desperately need: renewed strength when our own runs out.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore every dimension of Isaiah 40:31—its historical context, symbolic imagery, theological depth, and life-changing applications for our journey today.

The Verse in Different Translations

Let’s begin by examining how various Bible translations present this powerful promise:

• King James Version (KJV): “But those 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.”
• New International Version (NIV): “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 faint.”
• English Standard Version (ESV): “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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT): “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
• The Message (MSG): “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”
• New American Standard Bible (NASB): “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

While translations vary in specific wording—”wait,” “hope,” or “trust”—they all convey the same essential promise: divine renewal for those who depend on God.

Understanding the Context

To fully grasp Isaiah 40:31, we must understand where it appears in Scripture and what circumstances prompted these words.

The Book of Isaiah

Isaiah prophesied during the 8th century BC, a turbulent time for the nation of Judah. The book of Isaiah is divided into distinct sections, with chapters 40-66 often called “The Book of Comfort.” These chapters were written to encourage God’s people facing the prospect of Babylonian exile.

Isaiah Chapter 40

Chapter 40 marks a dramatic shift in tone. After chapters of judgment and warning, it opens with “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). The chapter emphasizes God’s greatness, power, and incomparability.

What Comes Before Verse 31

The verses immediately preceding verse 31 are crucial for understanding its full meaning:

Verses 27-30 address the people’s complaint: “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 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.”

The people felt forgotten, exhausted, and discouraged. They believed God had abandoned them. Isaiah responds by contrasting human limitation with divine inexhaustibility. Even the strongest humans—youths and young men—eventually tire. But God never does. And then comes the pivotal “But” of verse 31.

The Historical Situation

The original audience faced exile, displacement, and national catastrophe. They were spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausted. Into this context, Isaiah speaks words of hope: their strength may fail, but God never does—and He shares His strength with those who wait on Him.

Breaking Down Isaiah 40:31

“But those who hope in (wait upon) the Lord”

The verse begins with a crucial condition. Let’s explore what “waiting on” or “hoping in” the Lord truly means.

The Hebrew Word “Qavah”: The Hebrew word translated as “wait,” “hope,” or “trust” is “qavah.” It carries rich meaning: to look eagerly for, to expect, to hope, to wait patiently. It’s not passive resignation but active, expectant dependence.

What This Doesn’t Mean:

• Passive inactivity or laziness
• Giving up our responsibilities
• Refusing to take action
• Magical thinking without faith

What This Does Mean:

• Acknowledging our dependence on God
• Trusting God’s timing rather than forcing our own
• Maintaining faith when circumstances are discouraging
• Looking to God as our ultimate source of strength
• Patient expectation that God will act

Waiting on the Lord means orienting our lives around Him, depending on His strength rather than our own, and trusting His timing even when it doesn’t match our preferences.

“Will renew their strength”

This phrase contains the heart of the promise.

• “Renew” (Chalaph): The Hebrew word means to change, to alter, to exchange, or to renew. It suggests not just restoration but transformation—exchanging our weakness for God’s strength.
• Not Just Restored but Renewed: This isn’t merely getting back what we had. It’s receiving something fresh, something new, something beyond our natural capacity. Like a battery that’s not just recharged but upgraded to greater capacity.
• Supernatural Exchange: We give God our weariness, exhaustion, and depletion. He gives us His strength, energy, and endurance. It’s a divine exchange that defies natural logic.

“They will soar on wings like eagles”

This beautiful imagery deserves careful attention.

In the ancient Near East, eagles were symbols of strength, nobility, and endurance. They could fly to great heights and soar for hours with minimal effort. But there’s more to this metaphor.

• Eagle Flight Mechanics: Eagles use thermal updrafts to gain altitude without flapping their wings. They spread their wings and let the rising air currents lift them higher and higher. The eagle doesn’t generate the lift—it receives it from forces beyond itself.
• Spiritual Application: Like eagles riding thermal currents, we’re lifted by God’s Spirit. We don’t manufacture this strength—we position ourselves to receive it. We spread our wings (faith, trust, surrender) and let God’s power lift us above circumstances that would otherwise overwhelm us.
• Soaring vs. Striving: Soaring suggests effortless elevation, contrast with the exhausting effort of flapping. When we depend on God’s strength, there’s a quality of grace and ease even in difficult circumstances—not because challenges disappear but because we’re carried by power beyond our own.

“They will run and not grow weary”

After the soaring imagery, Isaiah moves to running—sustained, energetic movement.

• Running Requires Energy: Unlike soaring, running is active. This represents seasons when we must exert effort, take action, and move forward with purpose.
• Not Grow Weary: The promise isn’t that we won’t use energy, but that we won’t be depleted beyond recovery. God provides endurance for the journey, stamina for the race.
• Long-Distance Running: This isn’t sprinting—it’s marathon running. God’s strength enables sustained effort over time, not just brief bursts of energy.

“They will walk and not faint”

The progression from soaring to running to walking is significant.

• Walking Is the Everyday: Most of life isn’t spent soaring in spiritual highs or running with passionate intensity. Most of life is the steady walk of daily faithfulness—getting up, doing what needs to be done, putting one foot in front of the other.
• Not Faint (Stumble or Fall): The promise is sustained stability. Even in the ordinary grind, we won’t collapse. We’ll keep going.
• The Progression’s Meaning: Some interpret the progression as descending (soaring → running → walking), suggesting God strengthens us even when we move from highs to the mundane. Others see it as intensifying difficulty (flying is easiest, walking longest), promising God’s strength for all scenarios. Both interpretations offer truth.

The Theology of Divine Strength

Isaiah 40:31 reveals profound truths about how God works in human weakness.

God’s Strength Made Perfect in Weakness

This theme runs throughout Scripture. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

God’s strength becomes most visible and effective when we acknowledge our own insufficiency. Pride and self-reliance block access to divine power. Humility and dependence open the channel.

The Impossibility of Self-Generated Strength

Isaiah 40:30 makes clear that even the strongest humans—youths and young men—eventually tire and stumble. Human strength, however impressive, has limits. Only God’s strength is inexhaustible.

This isn’t pessimism about human capacity—it’s realism. We were designed to draw strength from God, not to be self-sufficient. Acknowledging this isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom.

The Mystery of God’s Timing

“Waiting on the Lord” implies that renewed strength doesn’t always come instantly. Sometimes God’s strengthening is immediate; other times we must wait. This waiting itself becomes part of the process, teaching us dependence, patience, and trust.

Practical Applications for Modern Life

How does this ancient promise apply to our contemporary challenges?

1. Physical Exhaustion and Health Challenges

When facing chronic illness, disability, or physical limitations, Isaiah 40:31 offers hope not necessarily of miraculous healing (though God can and does heal) but of strength to endure, grace to continue, and the ability to live meaningfully despite limitations.

The promise isn’t that we’ll never feel tired, but that we won’t be overcome by our weariness. God provides what we need for each day.

2. Emotional and Mental Burnout

In our age of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, this verse speaks powerfully. When emotional resources are depleted, when we’re too tired to feel, when mental fog makes everything harder—God offers renewal.

This may come through rest, through counseling, through medication, through community support, or through direct spiritual strengthening. God works through multiple means to renew us.

3. Spiritual Dryness

Every believer experiences seasons when faith feels hollow, prayer seems pointless, and God feels distant. Isaiah 40:31 promises that waiting on God—continuing to seek Him even when we don’t feel His presence—leads to renewal.

Sometimes renewal comes as a sudden breakthrough. Other times it’s gradual, almost imperceptible, until we realize we’re stronger than we were months ago.

4. Caregiving and Service

Those caring for elderly parents, special needs children, or chronically ill family members understand exhaustion. The demands never cease. Isaiah 40:31 becomes a lifeline—God provides strength for one more day, one more crisis, one more sleepless night.

This sustained, long-term strengthening is perhaps the verse’s most common expression. Not dramatic soaring, but faithful walking that doesn’t faint.

5. Vocational Challenges

Career difficulties, job loss, workplace stress, or the grind of unfulfilling work can drain us. God’s promise speaks to professional life too—strength to persist, wisdom to navigate challenges, endurance for the daily commute and workday.

6. Relational Difficulties

Maintaining difficult relationships, navigating conflict, or healing from relational wounds requires enormous energy. God strengthens us to love when love is hard, to forgive when forgiveness seems impossible, to persist when we want to quit.

7. Pursuing God’s Calling

When God calls us to tasks beyond our natural abilities—ministry, creative work, difficult obedience—Isaiah 40:31 is the promise we stand on. His strength compensates for our inadequacy.

How to “Wait Upon the Lord” Practically?

The promise is conditional: strength comes to those who wait on the Lord. But how do we do this practically?

1. Cultivate a Lifestyle of Prayer

Regular, honest communication with God keeps us connected to our strength source. This includes both disciplined prayer times and continual awareness of God’s presence throughout the day.

2. Immerse in Scripture

God’s Word is one primary means by which He strengthens us. Reading, meditating on, and applying Scripture provides spiritual nourishment that renews strength.

3. Practice Sabbath Rest

God commands rest not because He’s concerned about productivity but because He knows we need regular renewal. Sabbath—weekly rest—is both obedience and wisdom.

4. Participate in Christian Community

We’re strengthened through fellowship with other believers. Isolation depletes; community renews. We need others to encourage, support, and sometimes carry us.

5. Surrender Control

Waiting on the Lord requires releasing our need to control outcomes, timing, and methods. We acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than ours and trust His wisdom.

6. Maintain Hope

Even when circumstances suggest hopelessness, we choose to hope in God. This isn’t denial of reality but confidence in God’s character and promises.

7. Serve Others

Paradoxically, serving others when we’re weary can be a means of renewal. As we step out in obedience, God provides the strength needed.

8. Accept Help

Pride often prevents us from receiving help from others. Waiting on the Lord sometimes means accepting the strength He provides through people He sends.

What This Verse Doesn’t Promise?

To apply Isaiah 40:31 correctly, we must understand what it doesn’t promise.

It Doesn’t Promise We’ll Never Feel Tired

Fatigue is part of the human experience. The promise is that we won’t be overcome by our weariness, not that we’ll never experience it.

It Doesn’t Promise Constant Spiritual Highs

The “soaring” imagery is beautiful, but most of life is walking. God strengthens us for the ordinary grind, not just mountaintop experiences.

It Doesn’t Promise Instant Renewal

Sometimes strength comes immediately. Other times renewal is gradual, requiring patient waiting. The promise is certain, but the timing is God’s.

It Doesn’t Promise Exemption from Difficulty

Renewed strength often means endurance through hardship, not removal of hardship. We’re strengthened to face challenges, not necessarily to avoid them.

It Doesn’t Promise Success by Worldly Standards

Divine strength might not lead to career advancement, financial prosperity, or public recognition. It equips us for faithfulness, not necessarily worldly achievement.

The Eagle as Symbol Throughout Scripture

Isaiah’s eagle imagery connects to broader biblical symbolism.

• Exodus 19:4: God tells Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” God as eagle, carrying His people to safety.
• Deuteronomy 32:11: “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.” God as a protective parent eagle, teaching His young to fly.
• Psalm 103:5: God “satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Connection between God’s provision and eagle-like renewal.
• Revelation 12:14: The woman is given “two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness.” Eagles’ wings as means of escape and protection.

The consistent imagery: eagles represent God’s strength, protection, and the ability to rise above earthly limitations through divine power.

Personal Testimonies of Isaiah 40:31

Throughout history, believers have found strength through this promise:

• Corrie ten Boom, who survived Nazi concentration camps, often quoted this verse, testifying that God renewed her strength daily in unimaginable circumstances.
• Missionaries in hostile environments have claimed this promise when facing persecution, danger, and exhaustion.
• Cancer patients undergoing grueling treatments have found these words sustaining them through each difficult day.
• Pastors and ministry leaders facing burnout have discovered renewed energy through waiting on God.
• Parents of children with disabilities testify that this verse has carried them through decades of demanding caregiving.
• Depression sufferers report that clinging to this promise helped them persevere through dark seasons until light returned.

The common thread: ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges, finding that God’s strength proved sufficient when their own ran out.

A Prayer Based on Isaiah 40:31

“Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, You who never grow tired or weary—I come to You acknowledging my exhaustion.

I confess that I’ve tried to manufacture my own strength, to push through on willpower alone. But I’m depleted. I’m weary. I’m running on empty.

Teach me what it means to wait upon You. Help me exchange my weakness for Your strength. I spread my wings of faith, surrendering control, and ask You to lift me on the currents of Your Spirit.

Renew my strength—not just to survive but to soar. When I must run, energize me. When I must walk the daily grind, sustain me so I don’t faint.

Help me trust your timing. When renewal doesn’t come instantly, give me patience to wait. When the waiting is long, remind me that You are faithful.

I believe Your promise: those who hope in You will renew their strength. I place my hope in You alone. Amen.”

Conclusion

Isaiah 40:31 stands as one of Scripture’s most encouraging promises because it addresses a universal human experience: exhaustion. Physical weariness, emotional depletion, spiritual dryness, mental burnout—we all face times when our strength runs out.

Into our weariness, God speaks this extraordinary promise: renewed strength for those who wait on Him. Not strength we generate through positive thinking or sheer willpower, but divine strength we receive through dependence, trust, and patient expectation.

The progression from soaring to running to walking reminds us that God’s strength applies to all of life—the mountain peaks and the mundane valleys, the exciting seasons and the grinding everyday. Whether we’re called to soar above difficulties, run with passionate purpose, or simply walk faithfully through another ordinary day, God provides what we need.