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The God of Increase
One of the most replete (abundant and overflowing) verses in the entire Bible is found in Isaiah 40:29. It absolutely explodes with the promises of God! A cursory reading of this verse, however, often comes off as a "ho-hum…that's nice…" type of verse, but I challenge you in the next few moments to take a look at a verse that has power to utterly revolutionize your life. Let's take a look. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. [AMP] or He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. [NKJV] The word power has a variety of meanings such as: vigor, firmness, capacity, means, ability, force, fruits, might, strength, substance, wealth. So you could translate this portion of the verse as follows: He gives vigor, capacity, means, force, strength, substance, wealth to the weak….
Do you need physical strength? Do you need emotional strength? Do you need spiritual strength ? Do you need financial strength? How many ministries have been unable to fulfill their destiny because of lack in the financial arena. How many people have been unable to fulfill destiny because they lacked the courage – the inner strength, the emotional strength to perform the tasks at hand? Can you see how broad the applications of this verse are? No arena of your life is left out. Suppose you've gone through a tough time emotionally. You need strength in your soul realm. God can provide it. He is not just interested in your spirit man, he is also interested in your emotional, physical, and personal health, not excluding the arena of finance or provision in order to fulfill what lies before you. Another aspect of this word that we cannot afford to miss is this—the word power also speaks of the example of a lizard who is hardy and able to make the most of his surroundings, or of a chameleon which has the ability to adapt to the surroundings. For example, if the surrounding require strength physically, then physical strength you have. If they require substance in a material way, then substance you have. When Paul penned the oft quoted verse "…my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus…(Philippians 4:19", he must have understood the truth of this passage of Scripture.
Let's go to the next major word in the verse, the word translated "weak". This word is rather straightforward speaking of one who is fatigued, exhausted, or faint. All the strength is gone. All the supply is gone. The reserves are gone. Like the long distance runner, you cannot muster another step and you are ready to collapse to the ground in exhaustion. You are at the end of the proverbial "rope". Jesus, no doubt, felt such exhaustion due to the severe beating he suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers. He typified this exhaustion as he collapsed on the way to Golgotha carrying the cross upon his back, but just as he was at his physical end, a man named Simon from Cyrene was selected to help him carry his load. This man Simon had journeyed quite a distance from his home in Cyrene which is in Libya. It was quite a distance to have traveled, yet this man, though compelled to help Jesus carry the cross became not just an eyewitness to history, but a participant in it. You never know when you might be called upon to carry someone else's cross.
The next major word is "might" which implies effort, ability, power, wealth, force, goods, strength, and substance. We often limit the provision of the LORD concerning strength to the physical arena, but if you have ever been in a situation where financial needs beyond your personal ability to meet, were pressing in upon you, then you understand how that can take a toll on your physically. You may find your sleep being affected whereby you fall asleep simply from exhaustion, but if you awaken in the night and are somewhat refreshed, you find those financial needs rising to the forefront of your mind. That type of situation can impact your strength, your health, your emotional well-being and can end up spilling over to those around you. It is not unreasonable to assume that the Lord, in his matchless concern for the needs of his people, will respond to their heart cry of faith for release and relief. Just as when a nursing mother hears the cry of her baby and her body releases provision for the infant, so it is with the LORD known also as "the many breasted One". Have you been in a situation where you needed courage to accomplish a task. This verse also acknowledges that he provides "force"…fortitude, if you will to accomplish the job. Perhaps you need goods – material supply to accomplish the task He has given you, then the promise is for that to be supplied as well. Have you said, "I'm supposed to do such and such, but I don't have the ability." Well…you can't use that excuse any longer. This verse tells us that if you have no "ability" he will supply the "ability" to do what you are responsible to do.
How do we know he meets the need? The next word in the verse tells us. That verse says that he "increases" strength. What, however, does "increases" mean? Let's look: increases means to increase, to bring in abundance, to be in authority, to bring up, to enlarge, to continue, to excel, to be full, to make great/greater, to grow up, to heap, to be long (have endurance), to be many, to be give, to be more in number, to ask, to gather, to be over. Do you see how replete this verse is? The potential is unlimited. He will cause you to enlarge. What you couldn't handle last week, He has enlarged you to handle now! What you didn't have in sufficient measure two days ago, you have now with more coming! What you lacked in spiritual authority a few days ago, you no longer lack! He has increased and enlarged you. He has enlarged your capacity to obtain. He has enlarged your capacity to believe. He has enlarged your capacity to handle. You are not the same as you were before. Like most promised of God, you must lay hold of them for them to become activated in your life. The promise, the blank check, if you will, can be sitting on the table, but unless you get up, fill it out and cash it, you will still be without, even though the provision has been prepared for you. As believers, we don't often realize that fact. The word "increase" also implies that he will cause us to "grow up". He will bring you to a new level in God. Your maturity in the things of the Spirit will shift from one level to the next. This word also speaks of increasing your endurance. My daughter was a cross country runner. She, and the others on the team would be quick to tell you that she was in cross country, not in track and field. The distinction…endurance. Cross country runners may not be the swiftest off the starting line, but they have been trained to go the distance. As Americans we will stand in front of the microwave telling it to hurry up. We are so accustomed to instant everything. We eat instant meals, drink instant drinks, have instant desserts, and because of this immediate gratification we have been conditioned for, we have little in the way of endurance. We complain if we pray and don't see the result in fifteen minutes. If we have to wait even a few days for the manifestation of a promised word, we get antsy and impatient with the LORD complaining to the God of the universe that something is taking too long. We are spoiled! We don't need "everything" instantly. Some things we need to wait on. We need to learn to appreciate things more thoroughly instead of complaining because "our schedule" got messed up by something. Our selfishness in these arenas needs to be repented of in this day so we may fully understand the blessings of the verse we have been studying. The word "increases" also implies that he will multiply to us, nourish us, cause us to yield more, just as a farmer who has planted a field, God will cause the yield to be greater. The ears of corn will be fuller. The bean plants will be fuller. The tomato plants will be hanging full of delicious tomatoes. He will cause your stuff to do better! The supply of God will "overtake" us as we wait upon Him!
The last major word in this verse is the word "strength". This word means abundance, strength, powerfulness, or numerousness. Suppose you have need of a certain number of co-laborers to fulfill the mandate God has given you. This verse expresses the promise of God to cause your "numerousness" to increase. Where you had two you will have ten. Where you hand ten, you will have one hundred. Where you had one hundred, you will have thousands. Your powerfulness will increase. Your impact will increase. Your abundance will be changed into greater abundance. God is a God of increase. He is a God of plenty. His nature is increase and plenty. We often think and act as if God is a "broke" as we are, or as needy as we are. Well, my friends, he is not. He has an endless supply of whatever is needed for the tasks at hand. He did not give you a job, then look over at Jesus and say, "Well son, I hope we have enough to finish this job. It looks kind of tight." No. God isn't concerned about that in the least. He is wanting to get us into a position where we will let Him be God. Evangelist R.W. Shambach sang the song for years entitled, "Let God be God!" We need to do exactly that…let God be God. Hear what the LORD is saying with this verse: If you are in need of physical strength, you have it available If you are in need of courage to handle a situation, you have it for us. It is not merely available, but it is supplied in order for you to fulfill the tasks at hand. Gideon was an example of someone who experienced the truth of this verse, even though it had not yet been written. The LORD is telling us that if we are in need of an increase in abundance, He is saying that He will increase us financially. If you are in need of an increase of laborers to fulfill the mandate given to you, the Word tells us right here, that the LORD grants that increase of laborers. The implication of this verse is that the increase is in correlation to the need at hand…without lack, but rather abundance. This verse declares that the LORD will enlarge you, enlarge your purpose, enlarge your vision, enlarge your strength. The LORD will enlarge whatever you need for the tasks at hand and enlarge you for the tasks at hand. When the LORD chose you for an assignment, you were not, at that moment, large enough in yourself for that assignment. However, since you were given the assignment you are now qualified for the enlargement of you because of the largeness of the need you are to meet.
In verse 31, we find a familiar verse. However, like many familiar verses, we often think we know all that it means. Suppose however, that more truth exists in this verse than you have been catching. Come see what I mean. But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. Isaiah 40:31 [AMP]
The prerequisite is…waiting. Then, you tell us how. "…those that wait…. Wait is from the word "qavah" which means to bind together (perhaps by twisting), to collect, to expect, to gather together, to look to patiently tarry or wait for or upon. To twist or bind together? What is that? Picture if you will taking three strands of cord and twisting them together. As you twist them together they become tighter and subsequently stronger. It is this twisting and binding together, this intertwining with God through Holy Spirit that makes us stronger and increases our capacity. The three individual cords had a limited amount of strength, but the three twisted together have an exponentially greater strength. Ecclessiastes 4:12 tells us that "a threefold cord is not easily broken…." In our lives we need the threefold cord of agreement with the Father. We need the promise found in the Word of God, we need ourselves, and we need the Father. As we intertwine our lives with His promise, our strength is increased and we are able to accomplish what the Father has for us to do. The word "wait" also implies "to expect, to patiently look, or to tarry before the LORD." Visualize the picture of someone having placed an order and waiting around the receiving dock for the order to be fulfilled much like you do at the electronics retailer Circuit City. At that store, when you make the purchase, you go to the clerks in the receiving area, hand them the receipt or the slip, and they in turn have the product brought from the warehouse. Do we expectantly wait, knowing that the purchase for what we need has already been made by Jesus Christ? Do we have an earnest expectation of its imminent delivery? Attach your faith to the promise in this verse. Realize that within every promise of God is the faith for its fulfillment. Do you recall the old Jello commercials where the molds shaped as the letters J-E-L-L-O were filled with the differing kinds of Jello? Just as those molds were filled with the substance advertised, so is every promise of God filled with the substance advertised. The ability for its attainment rests within the very promise of it. See your provision being shipped from the warehouse. See yourself expectantly receiving the promised delivery. Just as at the electronics retailer, the object desired or needed has already been paid for, the only thing is its delivery into your hands. Just as you know that if you purchased from that store that the delivery was imminent, so it is with your Heavenly Father. Your faith is the ticket you turn in to exchange for the needed item(s).
The word "renew" in the phrase "…shall renew their strength…" is translated in the following ways in the King James Version of the Bible: go on forward, grow up, pass on or pass through), renew, sprout, strike through. The word chalaph also means to "spring up". Picture if you will a runner that has nearly collapsed from exhaustion but gets a second wind. He is reinvigorated and able to go forward and finish the race. Or, picture someone who has just been revived and "bounces back" as we say. An additional phrase is used in lieu of renew in translation, the phrase "pierce" or "change". Imagine someone trying to break through a veil and they strike at it over and over again until they are able to pierce that veil, or translate that part of the verse as "…shall change their strength…." Do you see the richness of this promise? It is dealing with so much than physical endurance.
As we continue looking at verse 31, the next major word is "strength". This is the same word translated "power" in verse 29. Let's review in the context of this verse some of the meanings of the word. The Hebrew word is kôach (pronounced ko'-akh) and it means to be firm, have vigor , have force. It implies capacity, means, produce. Again as we mentioned earlier about the hardiness of the lizard and the adaptability of the chameleon to be able to adapt to its surroundings. It also implied force, fruits, might, substance and wealth, in addition to power or strength. So as we "wait" upon the LORD we will spring forth in strength, power, adaptability, capacity, substance, wealth, and more! As we wait upon Him we will pierce through to the substance, produce, fruits, wealth, etc. Or, as we wait and bind ourself to him, we will change from a position of weakness and lack to a position of strength and provision. God will cause a shift in our very nature and atmosphere as well as in our lives as we bind ourselves together with Him.
A very familiar verse to many believers is Hosea 4:6; "…My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…." Many also incorrectly believe that the knowledge being spoken of is that which is obtained by educating ourselves and is primarily mental in nature, but that is not the case. The same word translated "knowledge" is the same basic word used when we hear in Genesis that "…Adam 'knew' his wife and she conceived...." It isn't speaking of a "head" knowledge at all, but rather a heart knowledge. We must lean into the LORD and get to know Holy Spirit intimately. As we do, we position ourselves to know what He knows and be able to do what He wants us to do. In James, the promise is given that "if any lack wisdom, let him ask of God and it will be given…". Again, the passage is speaking of wisdom that comes from an intimate "leaning into" the LORD. Remember how the New Testament speaks of John as the disciple that leaned on Jesus breast. John was leaning into the LORD. He was able to hear the whispers of God. To hear the quiet impartations that the son of God was releasing into his life. The intimate knowledge that the LORD wants to share with us require a "leaning into" the LORD. Quietly drawing ourselves close to him to hear him quietly speak into our lives. The binding ourselves together with Him also requires that we become intertwined with Him. That we get as close to Him as we possibly can. As we do, we have the promise of His Word of all these benefits we have been studying together.
The next phrases of verse 31 tell us that those who "bind themselves to the LORD", will mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." This phrase is also replete with meaning. The list of alternative words or phrases is quite extensive. As you read these words, insert them in lieu of "mount up" in the phrase, "They shall…." Here goes: to ascend, arise, experience it like the breaking of day. The Lord shall cause you to come up, increase, leap, lift up,, make to pay, perfect, put on…this strength, increase, wealth, abundance, etc., they shall recover, they shall experience restoration, they shall begin to spring up, they shall stir up, they shall work. All those applications cover a lot of territory. Just as an eagle ascends in the heavens above the fray, so we will ascend by His might and power. Picture if you will, an eagle with strong wings that are able to carry them above the currents, the storms, the disturbances in the atmosphere. We need the ability of God to come upon us to be able to carry us above many of the disturbances in our atmosphere as well. "…they shall mount up with wings as eagles…."
Isaiah then gives us another picture. Not of an eagle, but of a runner. When he says, "they shall run…" he is speaking of the picture of one going hastily, determinedly, toward a goal. A footman making his way to the finish line. Paul spoke of running the race and finishing the course. Perhaps he had this verse in mind as he wrote that. Isaiah then gives us the flip side of what he spoke of in verse 29. In this verse, "…they shall run and NOT be weary, they shall walk and not faint…." The person in verse 29 was exhausted and at the end of his own strength, but this man…this renewed man is able to run and finish the race. He will not grow weary (out of breath, or be exhausted, tire, or faint. The word for weary is yâga' which means, "to gasp". This runner won't even be out of breath. And if they aren't running, but walking, they shall walk and to tire, or become wearisome. We need to realize how much this one verse implies for us…how much ground it covers. It deals with physical strength, emotional strength, mental strength, spiritual strength even, financial supply, and numerical strength as in increasing the labor force needed for the tasks at hand. The Father is saying in this one verse – If you are in need of physical strength, I have it available, If you are in needed of courage to handle a situation, I have it. Not merely are these things available, but the Father grants them to us in order for us to fulfill the tasks at hand. Gideon was an example of someone who experienced the truth of this verse, even though it had not yet been written. He greatly needed an enduement of strength and God abundantly provided. The Father is also saying, "If you are in need of an increase in abundance, He is saying in this verse that He will increase you financially." If you are in need of an increase of laborers at the ministry to which God has called you or in the work God has called you to, God's Word tells you right here, that He will grant you that increase of laborers. An implication of the verse is that the increase is in correlation to the need at hand…without lack, but rather abundance.
This verse also declares that God will make larger. He will enlarge you, enlarge your purpose, enlarge your vision, enlarge your strength, enlarge whatever you need for the tasks at hand. Are you in need of such an enduement of the might of God that you are able to be revived and get up and finish the race? Have you grown weary? Do you need a recharging of your batteries in order to complete your mission? Do you need to be enlarged? If so, pray this prayer with me: Father, this passage is replete with promises to me for this day. I need an increase in strength, courage, finances, laborers, and more, but in those particular arenas I need change. I need to be increased. I thank you that your promise to be from that passage is that you increase my strength, my courage, my finances, you grant me laborers, you enlarge me in every way and I thank you, in Jesus' name for doing exactly that this day. I deliver to you the receipt…which is your promise in your Word concerning this and I expectantly wait for the delivery of that promise.
An eagle has the ability to catch the thermals and glide and glide and glide riding the wind currents in the atmosphere and allowing them to take it from one place to the next. They are masters at riding the thermals. They don't struggle when they are riding the thermals, they just simply keep their wings outstretched and glide. We must learn to glide. To ride the thermals…the winds of the Spirit of God and in so doing not be fighting the winds, but allow those winds to lift us and carry us. In riding these thermals our strength can be renewed from the constant flapping of our wings as we contended with our environment. One way an eagle rests in flight is by riding the thermals. He is not constantly flapping his wings, only periodically, if at all. He is allowing the wind to carry him. We must do the same. We must allow ourselves to be carried by the winds of the Spirit. We must learn to rise up above the storms that are in the lower atmosphere to where there are no storms. You see, it's not that no storms exists, but the eagle positions himself to where the storms have limited impact upon him. When the eagle is hungry and wants fish, it simply flies down and reaches out its talons, pierces through the surface of the water and grasps the provision…the fish. It has the ability to spot its next meal from a long distance away. The eagle then adjusts its' flight pattern, and the flapping of the wings to adapt to the needs of the environment it is in. What it needs to do in descending and capturing the prey and then ascending is far different from what it needs to be doing to glide, or to ride the thermals. May we call upon the LORD to teach us how to ride the thermals and tap into all the marvelous provision and promise that is in His Word. May you, find strength as you lay hold of the promise of God in Isaiah 40:29: He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. [NKJV] Let God increase you today…in every way!
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Scripture quotations marked "(NKJV)" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked "(AMP)" are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Definitions in this article are from:
The God of Increase by Ron M. Horner
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