Second-Wind Strength - All Our Daily Bread Daily Devotionals for 2026

Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Today's Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 40:27-31

At the age of fifty-four I entered the Milwaukee marathon with two goals—to finish the race and to do it under five hours. My time would have been amazing if the second 13.1 miles went as well as the first. But the race was grueling, and the second-wind strength I'd hoped for never came. By the time I made it to the finish line, my steady stride had morphed into a painful walk.

Footraces aren't the only things that require second-wind strength—life's race does too. To endure, tired, weary people need God's help. Isaiah 40:27-31 beautifully weds poetry and prophecy to comfort and motivate people who need strength to keep going. Timeless words remind fatigued and discouraged people that the Lord isn't detached or uncaring (v. 27), that our plight doesn't escape His notice. These words breathe comfort and assurance, and remind us of God's limitless power and bottomless knowledge (v. 28).

The second-wind strength described in verses 29-31 is just right for us—whether we're in the throes of raising and providing for our families, struggling through life under the weight of physical or financial burdens, or discouraged by relational tensions or spiritual challenges. Such is the strength that awaits those who—through meditating on the Scriptures and prayer—wait upon the Lord.

By Arthur Jackson

Today's Reflection
When have life circumstances taken the wind out of you? In what particular area do you need God's strength today?