They That Wait Upon the Lord

Isaiah 40:31-But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

This verse of scripture comes at the end of a great chapter. Read all of it and you will understand this particular promise more and more. The chapter is a reminder to God's people of how big He is, how powerful He is, and (how shall I put this as tenderly as possible) how much smarter He is than anybody else on the face of this earth. Yes, that means He is smarter than me and you. Hard to believe isn't it?
Israel was going through a rough time in it's history. Things weren't going according to all of the promises of God. There lives were just hum-drum. It looked like all the other nations around them were booming with prosperity and goodness. But, it also tells us that the nation as a whole had slipped quite a bit in their relationship with God. Just like the times we are in right now. However, God still had a people that would not be swayed by what everybody else was doing and was struggling to serve Him with all of their hearts. This promise was to those people whose desire for God and His blessings was hot and not lukewarm or non-existent.
Before we get into the scripture, here is a great idea to ponder. Not everyone is in love with Jesus like you and I are. No big revelation there, is it? However, this word today is to encourage you to purposely set your heart on Jesus no matter what happens and no matter whether anyone else decides to serve Him to the degree that your heart cries out for you to do. Now, let's go on.
The first thing this verse says, is BUT. Whenever you see the word BUT at the beginning of a sentence, (ask any grammer teacher) it means to disregard the previous statement. The previous few statements dealt with a nation and especially the youth giving up because the way is too hard and they could not see God's hand in anything. What God is saying to the rest of us is, "Hey. It only looks bad BUT I can turn things around."
They that wait upon the Lord--How much time have you spent WAITING for things to get worse than what they are right now. This phrase is talking about those who are trusting and hoping in God that things are going to get better, just like God said they would. Sometimes as we walk along life's road we step in a cow pattie or a nest of fire ants that we did not see coming. The most comforting thing that I can say is, "Get over it." Stuff happens to all of us as we are traveling to our promise. Just because the path Jesus has us on takes us through a cow pasture and it's astute pleasures, doesn't mean that He will leave us there. This might be where we are right now, but it is not where He said He would take us. Focus on His promise and not the problem.
Shall renew their strength--This particular phrase means to re-gain strength in the same manner that grass keeps growing after it is cut. All of us will experience times when life cuts us down. It doesn't mean we have to just sit there and die. When we make up our minds that God's Word is true for us, His Holy Spirit will begin renewing the strength that we lost in the last battle. A strong relationship with the Holy Spirit is just as vital as reading God's Word. Both will remind us of His promises.
The greatest example that I can think of is Caleb. When God brought His children out of Egyptian bondage and sent them to spy out the land, Caleb came back more excited than ever about the promises of God. He was ready to take on every enemy because he knew that what God had promised, He was well able to do. You know the story. Because of the evil report of the 10 spies that said, "It's too hard and we can't do it," Caleb was forced to wait for fourty years before he could enjoy the promise of God. That's an entirely different message, so let me finish this one. Caleb waited on God and kept looking forward to inheriting Mount Hebron, the mountain that the spies camped on while spying out the land. He fell in love with that mountain and, as a result, he fell in love with the promise of God. When God finally brought them victoriously into the promised land, Caleb told Joshua that his strength at 85 years old was just as good as it was when he was 40. Why? As he kept meditating on the promise and not the problem, the vision of inheriting that mountain grew stronger the the cow pattie he was standing in.
Don't look at what you're standing in and make a decision about God. The fire ants might be causing you some intense pain right now but their sting doesn't last forever. Wait on God's promise. The healing will come. The promise of God is steadfast and sure. AND, you will inherit the promise. Enjoy today!!! You're on your way to the promised land.