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). The “but” of this verse contrasts the strength of youths with the strength the Lord gives. For even youths grow tired and weary (verse 30).  The enduring strength the Lord gives, however is akin to the enduring strength of the eagle who can soar effortlessly for hour after hour, riding high above the storm. Learning to wait on the Lord however, is not easy. How many of us have said the equivalent of “my way is hidden from the Lord” (verse 27)? After I had been waiting several years for a promise from the Lord I was complaining about how long it was taking to a little old lady friend of mine. She told me “the trouble with God, is He has no sense of time!”

But the Lord is not slack concerning His promises, He is just not in a hurry. To Him a day is as a thousand years,  and a thousand years as a day (2 Peter 3:9).  His timing is perfect, and He has purpose in the delay. Part of this (but only part) is that He is teaching us patience and perseverance. He is also building character and making us fruitful  (Romans 8:29). We can fight Him, or we can cooperate with Him, letting  perseverance work its perfect work in us (James 1:4). One of the things we need to learn, is to stop fighting the people and circumstances He allows in our lives.

In a  further part of the context here the Lord reminds us of the character of the One own whom we wait, His power, His compassion and His faithfulness.  When He comes He brings His reward with Him and He carries us in His bosom (10. 11). Moreover He is the one who flung billions and billions of stars into space and call each one of them by name (26). He is the incomparable God (25).  But what does it mean to wait on Him?  We are to cease from fretting (Psalm 37:1, 7, 8) and trust Him. To not go ahead of Him ant take things into our own hands, we are to listen for His voice and guidance, and to never, never never give up on His promises. I am reminded of something Patricia King said about this. She said she would rather get to heaven and ask Him why He did not come through, than to get to heaven and He ask us “Why did you give up?”

Father, thank You for reminding me of these things this morning.   I chose not to give up on what You have told me. You are not a man that You should lie! I receive Your encouragement this to continue to trust and believe and I receive Your grace to do this with joy and anticipation for You to come through for me and to lift me on eagle's wings in Jesus Name Amen