Isaiah 40:31
“but those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
What does it mean to “wait upon the Lord?” The children of Israel were in captivity. They were defeated by the great military power of Babylon. The exiles knew that they could not hope to overthrow a world power like Babylon and escape their captivity. What could they do? They could turn back to the Lord. They could put their hope for salvation in Him alone. Waiting on the Lord isn’t a passive occupation. Biblical hope isn’t like sitting back and wishing for something to happen. Waiting on the Lord is active.
When we wait on the Lord, we pursue Him and His will for us, and we trust that as we draw closer to Him, He will take care of all of our needs. We can not live our lives according to our own desires and motivations and hope to be blessed by God, but when we follow closely after Him, He promises us to provide all that we need. When we wait on the Lord, patiently–with the right attitude–when we pursue relationship with him with the confident assurance that He will provide for us and take care of all our needs, we have the promise that God will show up in our circumstances.
This verse promises us that we can go to God in hopeful expectation and patient waiting and have our strength and vitality renewed. Perhaps God will pull us out of our circumstances and lift us to new heights, but even if He doesn’t, this verse promises that He will give us renewed strength. With the Lord, we are able to endure. He endows us with His supernatural strength to get through trying times. He brings us through trials and tribulations to times of blessings.
So when we are in the midst of a valley of trouble, we can wait in hopeful expectation on the Lord for His strength to endure, and we can keep walking through those difficult circumstances until we come out on the other side. And when we are on the top of the mountain of God’s blessings and things are going well in our lives, we can look to the Lord in gratitude and expectation and rise even higher in His blessings and on His promises. We can rise above whatever circumstances are going on around us by the power of His grace and provision for us.
What are you waiting on the Lord for today? Are you putting your energy into seeking the Lord? Are you waiting in hopeful expectation? Put your trust in God today, and find your energy and strength renewed.
Father, Thank you for your care and provision. There is not one thing I need that you do not provide for me. There is not one circumstance in my life that you are unaware of. You know my comings and goings. You know when I rise up and when I lie down. Today, Father, I’m choosing to put my trust in you. I am going to wait in hopeful expectation Lord for you to meet all my needs today. I know that if I seek earnestly after you, I will have strength to endure any type of trial or difficult circumstance I might find myself in. I will be able to continue on and power through with your help. Thank you, Father, for renewed strength and endurance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Beautiful Mess 