But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. (Isa. 40:31)
Invariably, waiting is one of the most difficult tasks in life. So often we perceive waiting as doing nothing. Whether at the doctor’s office, in slow-moving traffic, or for a promise to come to pass, waiting means we don’t have what we desire. It can be tiring to wait, but so much happens in the waiting.
In all of the words spoken over Israel, from God through Isaiah, we can sum up everything in Isaiah 40:30–31. Israel had suffered and been through much self-inflicted pain, all the while wondering about the promise. God reaffirmed his commitment to them and reminded the people that while waiting would be challenging, the hope of the Lord would renew their strength. In the waiting, God called them to reflect, think on, and hope in him alone. Even when the journey seemed to be on pause, they could take heart in the fact that he is Lord and hadn’t forgotten them.
Growing in God will require waiting. Some seasons will feel like a five o’clock traffic jam, while others will feel like we’re speeding in leaps and bounds toward all God is doing. But in our waiting, God is working. There we learn persistence, longevity, and faithfulness; we find strength only God can bring to our journey. Growing in God begins in the waiting. Weariness in the waiting is the beginning of God’s renewing strength.
Remember that God is working in the waiting.
Aaron Golden is a church planter and lead pastor at Union Point Church in New Bern, North Carolina.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
