Isaiah 40:31 (AMPC)
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall life their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
So many of God’s promises throughout the Bible relate to strength in times of weakness. We often think that when we are serving and following God, nothing bad will happen in our lives. We think that our good deeds are tallied up on some divine accounting spreadsheet and that if the good outweighs the bad, then we will be blessed. In times of trial, it’s easy to think that God is punishing us or that we weren’t good enough. We might go through a checklist: “If I just read my Bible more….”, “if I just pray more….,” “if I just go to church more…..” We tend to think that if we do something for God, He will be obligated to do something for us.
But the Bible makes it clear that God is not some divine vending machine. You can’t put good deeds in and expect to get blessings out. That’s not how it works! God isn’t a divine accountant, tallying up your good deeds and your sins to see which comes out on top so He can bless you or smite you. No! God is full of grace and mercy. He gives us more than we deserve. When God’s in the equation, all that comes out is good! His desire is to bless us. The Bible tells us that because of Jesus Christ, God is no longer holding our sins against us. We are forgiven!
Rough weather will come our way. That’s the nature of life in a fallen world. But when we wait on the Lord, when our focus is on Him, we will rise above the rough weather. We will come through the storm. God will give us divine assistance to persevere and be better on the other side. That’s the promise!
Prayer: Father, when things around me are chaotic and stormy, help me to remember who you are. Help me to remember that you are a good, good father. Remind me that every good and perfect gift comes from you and that it is the enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy. Thank you for the promise that you will support me and help me make it through whatever comes my way. I put my trust in you. Help me to wait well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Beautiful Mess 