SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1067

“Weary in Waiting”

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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 40:28-31)

The verb translated ‘wait for’ in our reference Scripture has a meaning of the ‘tension of enduring’ which I find very descriptive and true

I do not wait well. I am a toe-tapping, floor pacing, fidget in the seat kind of waiter. I do indeed endure the tension of waiting and it makes me weary. All this is well and good until I cross the line and become weary with waiting for the Lord. This is when He gently, but firmly reminds me that His grace is sufficient for me.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”… (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Are you restless and weary? Do you feel anxiousness and despair? Are you unable to sleep because you dread the uncertainty of tomorrow? Are you tired of waiting for things to change for the better?

The world offers many coping mechanisms for these feelings but perhaps we need to first take stock of our spiritual walk: How close does God seem? Does He seem distant and far off? Know this for certain: God did not make Himself distant. Rather, it is we that have distanced ourselves when we have taken our eyes off of Him and focused our energy on the things and desires of this world.

Our daily walk and personal relationship with Christ must be our priority.  It is through the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit that we have the power to deal with the daily life pressures that we face. It is through the abiding presence of Jesus that we can have peace and stillness in waiting.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… (Psalm 37:7)

It is those who wait and hope in the Lord that will renew their strength.

It is those who wait and hope in the Lord that have true power for living, who will run and not grow weary.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)