wait on the Lord.
“28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not grow faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no strength
He increases strength.
31 But they that wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up on wings like eagles;
they shall run and not grow weary;
they shall walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:28-29; 31
This is one of those refrigerator passages -- you know, the ones that we hear SO much in our lives that you kind of need to be reminded of the goodness and power of it from time to time.
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It all began with the song that I'm going to share later in this post, but I’ve been reading verses 29 and 31 nonstop for the last few days because they have come alive in a new way for me.
Friend, if you are weary in waiting on the Lord, there is good news for you today.
God will renew your strength.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no strength
He increases strength.
I LOVE a commentary I read on this verse. It said, “He does not grow weary or faint. He has enough power, not only for Himself, but also for the weakest, whom he can easily strengthen to bear all of their burdens, and to vanquish all of their oppressors.”
First, I love that God is powerful enough to have power to give away.
Who does God give power to?
The weak.
Those who are faint and have NO strength.
God’s power is for the weak. It’s for those who KNOW that they need Him.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,’ -2 Corinthians 12:9a
When the things of the world have worn on me, I’m promised a new strength.
31 But they that wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up on wings like eagles;
they shall run and not grow weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:29-31
“Wait” in this verse is the Hebrew word qavah. Qavah means, “to wait [for, on, upon]; to look for; to hope; to expect; to tarry.” It is not a passive type of waiting as we know waiting to be. No, this type of waiting has an expectancy attached to it. It’s a waiting that is hopeful; a waiting that has an attitude of faith; a waiting that knows that the One who promises is faithful.
Another commentary describes the next part of the verse. It says that an eagle lives and retains his physical strength even in old age. He sheds his feathers in old age, and then grows back new ones, and with them his youth. In old age, the eagle has as much valour as a younger eagle.
That’s what we’re promised in these two verses -- that God’s power is available to the weak, the worn out, and the weary; and that as we wait on the Lord, the hardness and weariness of life sheds from us, and, like the eagle, we are renewed with strength and power to soar with a grit that doesn’t show what we’ve been through.
Can you imagine?
There is a strength in the Lord in which the heaviness of life doesn’t compare.
You can run with Him and not grow weary in the waiting.
You can walk with Him and not grow faint.
So, how do we wait?
I saw a sermon on Sunday that answered this question perfectly.
1.We focus on God's ways – what does the Bible say about His character?
2. We focus on God's Word – write out your promises, and find a verse to claim for each one. Encourage yourself in the Lord.
3. We focus on God's work – look for testimonies of His faithfulness in the Bible, and recall what He’s done for you and other people around you.
It’s SO easy when you’ve gone through continuous seasons of heartbreak and disappointment to have hope to believe again. I get it. But I truly believe that the Lord wants this verse to come alive for each of us.
So, where do you find yourself weary?
Where areas of your life do you need fresh expectancy?
Where do you need God to give you strength?
Look to Him.
Wait with expectancy.
As you wait [on Him], you’ll get a little stronger.
If this post encouraged you in any way, it's because it was first inspired by this song!
PLEASE listen! I promise that you will not regret it!
