ISAIAH 40:31

Those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:31

To wait on the Lord is:

To “hope” or “look expectantly – to look up unto the hills where our help comes from. (Psalm 121:1-2)

To trust in God’s timing, in God’s purpose, and in God’s plan – there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. (Ecclesiastes 8:6)

To rest in the confidence that He has everything under control – He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:2)

To refrain from acting in vengeance and anger or spite – as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

To align our will to His will (then we will always get what we want) – The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:14)

Trusting His character – the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Waiting is exhausting! Yet the scripture promises us it will renew our strength. Why this incongruency? If it is supposed to renew our strength, then it should be a place where we find rest and peace. What then about waiting depletes us instead of refreshing us?

We wait with an expectation of “our will to be done”. We create a timeline in our minds and submit it to God to do His work on our plan.

If waiting means to “hope” or “look expectantly”, what then should we “hope” for? When we “look expectantly” at the source of our help, what should we “expect”?

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Psalm 16:3)

Does this mean He will give us what we want when we want it? It does not!

He will use this time to remind us that His plans for us are paramount; yet, as we wait in prayerful trusting, He aligns us to His will and calling on our lives. We can trust His plan for our lives, even though we cannot see the beauty of the tapestry He is weaving. From our perspective, all we see is the jumble of knots and untidiness that is the underbelly of every masterpiece tapestry.

We must trust His character – He never fails!!

As we navigate seasons of grief, trauma, and despair, I pray we may learn to wait! He will use this time of waiting to teach us more about His character and how He will bring to fruition His plans “to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)