Effective & Life Renewing Waiting

Today’s Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary"

Isaiah 40:31.

Let us look at what it means to "wait for the Lord." For it is imperative that we "wait" with the right spirit, if we want to indeed see and receive the renewing strength that God offers us.

The Hebrew word for "wait" in this verse is "qavah," whose full meaning is: to wait for, eagerly waits, expect, hopefully wait, look eagerly, waited for you eagerly, waited patiently.

For me, the key to understanding this is: I wait upon my Lord for my Lord, Himself, and, in this state, He is my joy, my peace, my renewing strength, my eagle’s wings perspective. He, Himself, is Who I wait upon. I have cast my cares upon the Lord and now, that I have entrusted them to Him, I am free to be with Him in His presence, fully for Him, to minister to Him, for He is worthy of all praise, all the time.

"In Your presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11) and so much more, when we receive the blessing of waiting upon our God in His presence, that we might "behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple" (Psalm 27:4), as His priesthood.

There is whole world of difference between waiting for God to do something and waiting for God in His presence. The first type of waiting may even be a prayed about need, but waiting for God to do something is not the same as this type of waiting for the Lord that Isaiah spoke of.

I have spoken with many people who have been waiting for God to do something and, invariably, over time, there is a creeping weariness, with impatience, a loss of hope, and a growing doubt.

Whereas, speak to someone who waits upon the Lord for the Lord, in His presence, with the heart’s focus clearly upon the splendor of God, and you will find that person is full of hope, patience, eagerness and expectancy, for God is our renewing light and our salvation (Psalm 27:1).

We may still be waiting for "things" to happen or to change, just like other folks, but it is so much better to, in that time, minister to God and wait upon Him in His presence; re-enforcing our identity as His beloved child and priest, keeping hope, patience, and eagerness alive and well, and receiving the promise of Isaiah 40:31, to "gain new strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

It is in God’s presence, as we wait upon Him, "for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting" (Psalm 136:1), that we receive heavenly strength, renewing stamina, and eagle’s wings perspective.

This verse from Isaiah doesn’t promise to work all things out for us ASAP. This verse from Isaiah promises renewing strength and stamina, with hope, so that you and I can keep going on, in the strength of God, until all things are worked out for us. The ASAP for you and I is to get ourselves into His presence, ASAP, so God can begin filling us, ASAP, with the promise of Isaiah 40:31.

May God bless this word to you, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Hallelujah!