Deeper Waiting

Isaiah 40:31 has been on repeat for several weeks now. “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.”

Whew! There’s SO much to unpack in that verse!

“They that wait”. None of us like to wait. We are a microwave society, an instapot culture, with an air fry mentality. We don’t wait because we don’t HAVE to wait. Everything is at our fingertips, feeding our every whim.

But I believe this is a deeper kind of waiting than just waiting in car line or waiting for a new job to come along. No, this Scripture says we are waiting upon the Lord. It’s more than just waiting on the Lord to do something for us. Now you may be saying, “I thought He was Omnipresent? What am I waiting for? He is always with me.” That’s a great question: what are we to wait for?

The answer is presence. We are waiting for the presence of God to be overshadowing everything. We are waiting for the Lord to be so evident that everything else pales. We are waiting to be lifted up so high that the things of this world grow strangely dim. We are waiting for God’s presence to consume us until there is nothing left of us. This is what we are to wait for. And it may take some time to worship, and still your soul just so you can realize it.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

A deeper waiting is waiting for God’s presence to consume us until there is nothing left of us.

Once we get to that place, that sacred and secret place that only you and the Lord share together, your strength is renewed. Well, that ought to be motivation enough to get to this place! Our strength is renewed. The word “renewed” means “to sprout again”. That word “strength” means “to be firm; power; productive; fruitful”. Our confidence, our fruitfulness, our effectiveness, and our influence all begin to have life and growth again, when we wait.

“They will mount up on wings like eagles.” When we wait on the Lord, He lifts us up above all of the mess in this world that seeks to depress us, distract us and detour our focus from the Lord.

I was worshipping at a church service not too long ago and as I worshipped, I suddenly felt like I was the only one in the room and that I was being lifted up way up in the sky. Suddenly I felt like I was light as a feather. I heard the Lord say “Don’t get caught up in civilian affairs.” (2 Timothy 2:1)

“Wings”….eagles’ wings are far-reaching. They are fully covering. They can take you above a “snake line” where a snake can’t live. Hello! Satan can’t touch you in this place! Eagles’ wings lift you up above the mundane and the madness. They carry you through the difficulties. Oh, how I want to remain in this place! (John 15:4)

“They will run and not grow weary and walk and not faint.” Stamina. Increased energy. Perseverance. Endurance. These are found when we wait on the Lord. When I was little, my daddy had much longer legs than me. I would lag behind him, getting preoccupied with other things, and when I realized I was too far back, I would run to catch up with him, and then start walking right beside him. This part of the verse makes me think of this. It says we run first, and then walk. Normally, a child walks and then runs. But in the scenario of me and my dad, I ran first, and then walked. When we wait on the Lord to be consumingly present, we run and catch up with Him and then walk one step

at a time with wherever He is leading us. Sounds kind of like what happened with the disciples when Jesus said, “follow Me”.

When our family went to Ethiopia on a mission trip, I remember a woman who was the leader in an orphanage and school. When there was a decision to be made, she would disappear. When asked where she went, people would reply, “She has gone to pray and wait on the Lord for her answer.” Wow. We could learn something from her.

So this week, may I challenge you to wait upon the Lord? Would you include Him in your decision-making and wait to hear from Him? Would you sit still before Him and just wait to hear His voice speak through His Word, worship and your time with Him?

I believe, based on the Word, that if we will wait, we will begin bearing fruit again in abundance; we will live at a higher place, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally; we will soar through difficulties; and we will experience stamina, perseverance and endurance as we walk so closely with the Lord.

You are loved,

Jena

Summertime Online Study in the book of Psalms coming soon!!!!