Day #236 - Those Who Wait
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on 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.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV
What was the hardest thing to wait for growing up?
I think the hardest thing for me to wait for growing up was waiting to open up presents on Christmas Day. Its not like I had to wait all day. But I could barely sleep on Christmas Eve because I was so excited for the next day. I always woke up early on Christmas morning and had to wait for my parents to wake up. We had to wait to read the Bible story of Jesus’ birth and sing happy birthday to Jesus before we could open our stockings and then the first presents. It really wasn’t that long, but it felt like forever as we waited each year.
Isaiah 40:31 is one of those promises of Scripture that is like a crown jewel of all Scriptures, a beautiful and reviving truth for all those who have grown weary. The context is that we see that God never tires or faints. He gives power to the weak and He increases our strength. Oh how great is “the Presence” of the Lord that we might receive power when we are worn down and tired.
How do we receive this strength and power in our lives? We wait. Specifically we wait on the Lord. “Wait” is also translated as “hope.” This waiting on the Lord is about abiding in His presence. Its about anticipating His goodness and His strength. Waiting is not inactivity in a sense that we totally disconnect. Oh yes, we must disconnect from stress and striving. But waiting is an active hope and attention on the Lord to commune with Him and receive from Him.
When we wait on the Lord we are like those who mount up with wings like eagles. In “the Presence” as we wait on Him, He turns the winds of adversity that have wearied us into opportunities for us to soar higher like the eagles do. We can become so strong from waiting on the Lord that we run and won’t grow weary, we walk and not faint.
What are you waiting for? Hurry up and wait!
Lord God, the everlasting One, the Creator of all, who is never tired or weary, I come to Your presence to wait upon You. My hope is in You. When I am weak and tired, You renew me and strengthen me. I will soar like the eagles. In You I run and won’t grow weary, I walk and won’t faint. Help me to continue to wait upon You. In Jesus name, amen.
I Love This!!!