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I. THE LORD SPEAKS OF HIS PEOPLE AS BEING SOMETIMES "FAINT." The expression is very significant; it implies that there is life, yet life for a time dormant, inactive, powerless either for defence, service, or enjoyment. There is one, for instance, who has watched long by the bedside of a beloved sick one. Others, again, are sorely tried by anxieties connected with their business; by the difficulty of providing daily bread. There, again, is another deeply vexed and grieved with the plague of his own heart. Of such as these the Lord seems to be speaking. "He giveth power to the faint." His people are further described as having "no might." Self-sufficiency is one of the plainest marks of the ungodly. And thus are they led truly into the third mark of His people, which the Lord here mentions, "They that wait upon the Lord."

II. HOW HE DEALS WITH THEM. Three expressions are employed to describe this.

1. To the faint "giving" strength, because, under their sore trials and afflictions, they have utterly fainted; their strength has for a time entirely departed — to them the Lord "gives" strength.

2. Then observe the other word describing His dealings — "He increaseth strength." That is a very suitable word. It is the experience of every gracious soul, that his own strength decreaseth. He learns more fully that he hath in himself no strength. Wherever the Lord removes any of the props of the believer's earthly pride and self-sufficiency, there He reveals Himself as the believer's strength. So that growth in humility is necessarily connected with growth in spiritual strength.

3. They that wait on the Lord shall "renew" their strength. They renew their strength because the Lord renews it. He manifests Himself to them just at those times and in that manner in which they are led to see their need of Him.

III. THE BLESSED RESULTS OF THE LORD'S DEALINGS WITH HIS PEOPLE. These also are described as three-fold —

1. "They shall mount up," borne aloft heavenward, with a power in comparison with which the eagle's mighty wings are powerless. And why? Because they are borne aloft by omnipotent grace. This is one blessed result to those who wait upon the Lord — heavenward tendency.

2. There is also promised zeal and rapid progress in their heavenly course. "They shall run and not be weary." Waiting upon the Lord, they shall be so renewed in strength, that not only their affections, desires, and hopes shall be lifted up to heaven, but they shall also be carried forward swiftly and mightily in their gracious course. They shall run in the way of God's commandments, and not be weary. Look at all mere human strength; how soon it fails, how quickly it is exhausted.

3. This is the third blessed result — a steady perseverance in the way to Zion. Whilst their progress is "running" for zeal and success, it is "walking" for steady persistency unto the end. It is harder sometimes to walk than to run. There are many who would gain heaven if it were to be won by a hasty run; but when the heavenly course requires not merely a short, quick, impulsive run, but the slow, weary, painful walk, they soon grow tired, and ready to give all up.

(G. W. Hills.)

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

WEB: He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.