Isaiah 40:31 (Amplified Bible)
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 lift 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.
I hate to wait. Waiting feels like a waste of time. When I am forced to wait, it seems as though there is so much more I could be doing instead – so much more I could be accomplishing. Reverend Jody D. Moore of Praise Tabernacle Bible Church in Chino, California, once taught his congregation in a sermon, that the enemy uses time to wear believers down, but God uses it to refine us.
I shared that with a friend recently, who agreed that she felt like a race car, idling in a driveway. She is raring to go, but God has her gear shift in park. Then I have another friend who has gotten clear direction from God in one area of her life, which she has dutifully moved on. But the indecision of another prevents her from advancing. Both people are frustrated.
Perhaps you can identify with my friends. Perhaps God has given you a direct command. Maybe He has revealed his plan to you, but you find yourself stuck, unable to get things going. Remember Joseph would spend years as a slave then as a prisoner before becoming Prime Minister of Egypt. Zachariah and Elizabeth would be barren for decades before becoming pregnant with John the Baptist. Moses would stand against Pharaoh through 10 plagues, before that hard knot let him leave.
Waiting can be miserable. Or it can be full of hope – if you do it right. The prophet Isaiah knew that. I love the Amplified Bible’s version of this verse because it helps me to understand what waiting for the Lord looks like. While we wait, we are to continue on in a state of expectation, looking for God to open a door, remove an obstacle, or lead us through a barrier. We have hope! As we hope in him, even though our situation may not change right away, he renews our strength so that we can wait as long as it takes and be ready when it is time to act. If we wait with the right attitude, we will be better people on the other side. Why? Because the enemy uses time to wear you down, but God uses it to refine you.
I pray God blesses you in your time of waiting. I pray that he will renew your hope so that your expectation in him will not waver, that you will continue to look for him and seek him out, and in so doing gain your second wind.
Be blessed, Family!
