April 7, 2020
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31
Are you a patient person? Do you struggle with waiting on someone or waiting for something? When I was younger, I ordered a G.I. Joe action figure from a catalog called Consumers. Back in those days (I sound so old!), my mom sent a check, with the order form...and mailed it to the customer service center. That’s right. She MAILED it! Before there was an Amazon or an Ebay, we had to mail our order in or...if you were fancy...order it over the phone. Then we would have to wait...six to eight weeks for delivery. SIX to EIGHT weeks for delivery!!! This was the norm. I would wait six to eight weeks for my G.I. Joe action figure. After about a week, I would check the mail everyday to see if it arrived yet. I remember my mother becoming annoyed because I kept asking her every day, “Is it here? Is it here?”
Even though I had to wait, I never doubted whether or not it would come. I know that we sent the paper work in. I walked with my mom to the mailbox and I watched her put the envelope inside the mailbox. Now, all I would have to do is wait for my package to arrive. I waited. I waited patiently. I waited patiently for the day that a brown package was waiting for me on the dining room table when I came home from school. There was an excitement in the air because my package finally arrived. My special Hooded Cobra Commander action figure was everything I hoped and dreamed for.
Oh, how things have changed! Ever since I signed up for Amazon Prime years ago, I’ve struggled with waiting. As far as I am concerned, everything needs to be “next day” delivery with no shipping charges. (Hallelujah!) I have been spoiled by technology. I have Door Dash, Seamless, and Grub Hub on my phone. Gone are the days when I would walk to the store for food. Now, I order it...and they bring it...and I time them to see how fast (or slow) it took them to bring me my food. I’ve lost touch with the art of “waiting”.
In Isaiah 40:31, scripture reminds us that waiting on the Lord is an integral part of understanding our relationship with him. The first part of that verse states, “...those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.” That word “wait” in Hebrew is “qavah”, and it means to: look for, to expect, or to eagerly hope for. It is that period of time that exists between you “asking” God for something, and you “receiving” what you asked God for. It’s the waiting period. Picture yourself running home to check the mailbox to see if the package came today. It’s a season of expectation and hope.
Some of us are in that waiting period right now. We’ve said our prayers. We’ve made our petitions known. We have spiritually walked to the mailbox and we’ve put the order in, and now we are waiting patiently. Do not be discouraged during this waiting period. Scripture tells us that something is happening during this time of waiting. “...those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.” In another translation, it says “...will GAIN new strength.” That word “renew” in Hebrew is “chalaph”, and it means to: change or transition. This word describes the process of “passing away” and coming back as a changed person. In other words, during your time of “waiting” on the Lord, the Bible says that God is going to give you a new “kind of strength”. As you pray and seek God during this global crisis, don’t give up and don’t give in. Continue seeking God, because something is developing in you spiritually that was not there before. I believe that God is working and activating our spiritual muscles like never before. There is a “new” kind of strength that is being developed day by day. We will run and not grow tired. We will walk and not faint. Let’s continue to seek God and pray until this virus is defeated.
We Will Wait!
Now that’s Good Word!
