Those who wait [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] upon the Lord; they are the ones who shall renew their strength and power; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Those who wait on the Lord shall experience His empowerment and renewal. You may think to yourself, “I’ve been waiting on the Lord… How am I not seeing the fulfilment of this promise in my life?” Isaiah 40:31 is a sure promise for the one that truly believes in God. Let’s explore what waiting on the Lord really looks like.
How do we wait for God? What does waiting mean?
In Isaiah, waiting for God usually implied the people were in trouble and they needed to wait for God to work rather than running to Egypt to get help. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!” Isaiah 31:1
Waiting for the Lord means, looking to the Lord, consulting or seeking his will before turning to any human aid for answers or a resolution. We wait for the Lord when we pause to pray before we act. We wait on the Lord when we turn away from self-reliance. We seek God’s counsel in prayer before any attempt is made to solve the problem ourselves. And it should go without saying that when we wait for God’s counsel, we are submissive and open to it. We are not telling him what he must do. In waiting for the Lord, we are like a sick patient running to the doctor for advice on how to treat our illness. Waiting on the Lord says to Him that we trust His timing and way of doing things. Waiting on the Lord looks like having faith that what He has promised will come through. Waiting on the Lord isn’t a passive exercise; sitting around waiting for something to happen to us. Waiting on the Lord is active. It is a patient, quiet, confident trust in the Lord.
When we wait on the Lord, we trust His word to us. We choose to not take our cues from what our eyes can see. Yes, fear surrounds you and time is running out, but what did God say to you? You choose to believe in God instead of giving in to the anxiety. And while you wait, as 1 Peter 5:7 instructs us to do, we cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for us. While you wait, cast your cares on the Lord, and leave them there. Don’t go back to check on those cares every five minutes. Waiting on the Lord looks like praying through your concerns, knowing that when you pray He hears you. When you pray God hears you and He will come to you. So keep pressing in through prayer with confidence in who God is and what He can do.
That is what our waiting should look like – and those who wait on the Lord experience renewal. Those who wait on the Lord shall mount up with wings. Those who wait on the Lord shall not be weary. Those who wait on the Lord shall not faint. How? The Lord gives power to those who wait on Him, and He pours out His Spirit on them so that they can experience a deep kind of refreshing that can be experienced nowhere else. He gives them wings to soar above all that concerns them.
The hardness of life that you feel right now; take it to the Lord and wait before Him. Isn’t that what He invites you to do anyway? To take our cares to Him? Beloved, be encouraged! Underneath all your waiting in this world is a hope that cannot disappoint. One day soon, Jesus will come, and no one who waits for him will be put to shame (Psalm 25:3).
What you will do today & the rest of the week:
- Assess how you’ve been waiting on the Lord.
- Ask the Lord to give you the grace to wait patiently for Him (Colossians 1:9–11).
- Let go of the need to monitor your concerns that you’ve already given over to the Lord.
- Ask the Lord to keep you from foolish shortcuts (Isaiah 30:15).
Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.
Amoy is intent on fulfilling God’s will and purpose for her life. She is a celebrity publicist, a proud Jamaican, a writer, an international speaker, a media practitioner and a published author. She loves all things luxury and is on a mission to become one of the wealthiest women from her island and in the world. 40 under 40, is that you?