Isaiah 40:28-31 tells you that the LORD, the everlasting Creator, never grows faint or weary, and that he gives strength to those who have none. The promise is that those who wait on him will have their strength renewed, enough to rise, run, and walk through the hardest seasons. These verses come from the second major section of the book of Isaiah, written to a people far from home and unsure whether God still saw them.
28 Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. 30 Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; 31 But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (WEB)
Isaiah 40:28-31 Summary
The passage opens with a pair of questions that assume the answer is already known: have you not known, have you not heard? The prophet then reminds the reader who God is, the eternal LORD who made the ends of the earth and whose understanding cannot be measured. Because he does not tire, he is the one who gives power to people who are tired, weak, and without resources.
Then the passage turns to ordinary human limits. Even young people, the ones we expect to be strongest, faint and fall. The final verse offers the contrast: those who wait for the LORD receive renewed strength, so that they rise, run, and walk without giving out. The argument moves from God’s character, to human weakness, to the hope that rests between them.
Context of Isaiah 40:28-31
The book of Isaiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah, who lived in Jerusalem in the eighth century BC. Chapters 40 through 66 are often read as a separate section, speaking to exiles in Babylon who had lost their land, their temple, and much of their confidence. Many scholars think these chapters address the situation of the sixth century BC, though the traditional attribution to Isaiah is still widely held.
The verses just before this passage, from verse 25, ask to whom God can be compared. Creation itself is presented as evidence: the stars are named and counted, and not one is missing. Verses 28-31 draw the conclusion. The God who keeps track of the stars is the same God who sees a discouraged people, so the exiles have no reason to say their way is hidden.
Isaiah 40:28-31 Verse by Verse
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(WEB)
This verse presents God as a refuge and a present help in trouble. It pairs well with Isaiah 40, because both passages call the reader to trust a God who is steady when circumstances are not.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
(WEB)
Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. The verse echoes Isaiah’s concern for those who are worn down and offers the same God-centered relief.
A Prayer Based on Isaiah 40:28-31
Lord, you do not faint or grow weary, and your understanding is beyond anything I can measure. I come to you today with the strength I have, which is less than I wish it were. Thank you that you give power to the weak and strength to those who have none. Teach me to wait on you in the ordinary hours of this day, trusting that you see what I cannot see. Renew what has been drained from me, so that I can keep going with steadiness and hope. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is speaking in Isaiah 40:28-31?
The passage is a prophetic message in the book of Isaiah, traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah. It speaks to a people who felt that God had forgotten them. The speaker points them back to the character of the everlasting LORD.
What does it mean to wait on the LORD?
Waiting on the LORD means trusting him actively while life continues, looking to him for direction and strength. It is a posture of dependence rather than passive inaction. The passage ties that waiting to renewed strength.
Does Isaiah 40:31 mean believers will never feel tired?
No, the passage is honest that even the young grow weary and faint. Its promise is that God’s strength is available when human strength runs out. It describes renewal in the midst of weariness, not an absence of it.
