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TO THOSE WHO ARE WAITING ON THE LORD
by Pastor Mark Taylor
“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: 29-31
Chapter 40 is the beginning of a new section in the book of Isaiah. It is the first chapter which looks beyond the captivity of Israel and on to the brightness of the future God has in store.
There are always those times when it seems that Satan is getting the best of us. Sometimes it’s a little hard to maintain your faith and trust in God when everything is going against us and we are in the middle of one of the greatest battles of our life. It is in those times that we need the Lord more than ever. It is in those times that our faith and trust in God is really put to the test.
We must not forget that God has promised us that we would “never be tempted above what we are able to bear, but with every temptation, every trial, every test, every trouble, He will make a way for us to escape and win the victory.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God never promised that we wouldn’t have hard times. He never promised that we would sail through life without troubles. What He did promise is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promised that He would supply our every need. He promised in Psalms 55:22, "Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
There is no shortage of God’s power, might, and strength. Our way is not hidden from Him. He has not forgotten about you and I. He will make His strength available to us, if we but trust Him.
Faith says that everything will work out when it seems that everything is crumbling around me. Faith says that my bills will be paid when I can’t see how they will in the natural sense. Faith says that God will take care of me and that I must force myself to stop being overly concerned with the future. Faith says that I know, that I know, that I know, that somehow, God will work it all out and that when He does, I will be so greatly blessed for having faced all that is happening right now.
Waiting upon the Lord requires true faith. Waiting upon the Lord requires going through the fire sometimes and still trusting God to bring us through.
Waiting upon the Lord requires that we believe in the impossible, look for the unseen answers, hope in the times of hopelessness and know, without knowing why or how, that God will take care of us. , "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” (Isaiah 59:1)
What does it mean to "wait"? The waiting spoken of here requires faith, trust, patience, hope. The word “wait" in this instance has to do with faith, not service. It bears the concepts of trust, hope and longing. It is to wait with expectant hope.
What does it mean to "renew"? Don’t we put gas in our tanks only after we have used most of it? That’s how it is with spiritual strength. Those who have exhausted their strength will have it renewed. The Lord is not promising an extension of our own natural strength. This strength is supernaturally supplied. Our batteries are recharged. Our tanks are refueled. Depleted energy is restored. Our power returns when we ask God to send His power.
What does it mean to "mount up”? This is a simile. It is figurative language intended to paint a picture in our minds. More than our minds, it is designed to inspire our spirits. To soar on wings like eagles is to rise effortlessly. Great lifting power causes the eagle to fly higher greater lift power in the updrafts of turbulent winds.
Where do we get strength to be patient and encourage? The child of God gets strength from God’s Word, Prayer, and being around other children of God. When you don’t feel like going to church is the very time you should go to God’s House to hear a message of hope from Him.
Again and again in the scriptures, God has recorded how He use the weak to become strong. You have a shepherd boy named David going into battle against a hardened giant of a man with nothing more than a sling and a stone and he is victorious. You have an inexperienced leader named Gideon facing off against thousands of ruthless warriors with an army of only 300 men and defeated them.
God views those who are waiting as objects of His special love and care and expects other Christians to extend love and concern towards them, as well. God, Himself, is there to give strength to those who are waiting. God is there to strengthen those who are spiritually waiting on a blessing from Heaven. Be confident when going through a dry season. "God is going to supply all of your needs according to His Riches in Glory".
(Philippians 4:19).
Today, I hope you will read God’s Word and believe that He wants to be directly involved in your life today. He has a plan for you that will take you through this life time of struggles into Heaven. He will provide you with the strength to keep going if you will begin speaking to yourself words of faith such as “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
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