Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait on 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.
Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
We have all heard many sermons on Isaiah 40:31. When the Old Testament was written, there were no chapter and verse makings, just narrative sort of like a book. Just because the chapter ends in your Bible, doesn’t mean the idea ended in the original Scriptures. In this case, the idea was broken in the middle with a Chapter designation and too often, we don’t go ahead and read on to see what follows.
‘Those that wait on the Lord’ is a passage indicating people who are needing and anticipating something from God. But it also indicates a people with patience. As humans, we must somehow realize that we can’t fix every situation. There are finite ends to our abilities.
When we wait on the Lord, we get His best. Too often we want to run out in front of God and ‘help’ Him out. We feel the need to bring a higher priority to the situation and we try to work it out in our own strength. In the Exodus, when the Israelites were between the Red Sea and the Egyptian Army with no route of escape, Moses spoke to the Israelites saying
Exodus 14:
13 And Moses said to the people, Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom you have seen to day, you shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
With God, all things are possible. There is nothing you can ask or think that God cannot do. God is infinite, without end or beginning, without boundaries except his own goodness. You are finite, limited in your own power, you are nothing without God. In your own power, you have limited capability, but with God, you have unlimited capability. When you let God take care of the situation, you know it is in good hand.
The best way to wait on the Lord is to shut your mouth. Or to confess what God has said. Too many folks want to tell you ‘how it really is…’ without regard to the truth of God’s word. The prophets of old were looked at like 2 headed monsters, crazies, off their rockers.. well, time has proven them true. When the Old Testament Scriptures were originally written, over 25% of it was purely prophetic. What we have learned is the accuracy of those prophecies is uncannily accurate. If those folks had just ‘waited on the Lord’ they would have seen the prophecies fulfilled.
What God is telling us here, is if you really want to soar like the Eagles, keep silent. Too often we use our mouths to speak curses over the very things we really need to have blessed. We don’t intend on doing that, but that is the way we have been taught, as men. Too often the Church has supported that kind of thinking at least by not teaching what the scripture says about the power of your words.
Speak what God speaks, not what man speaks. Man speaks lies, God cannot lie. Satan would have you speak what man in his lost condition says. He hates it when you confess what God has said. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire because they would not bow, it was not the refusal to bow that kept them from burning. It was their confession. In Daniel 3: we find them replying to Nebuchadnezzar:
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
My God is ABLE and WILL do more than I can ever ask or think. He is able and will deliver us from the fiery furnace. He is able and will take care of our sickness. He is able and will heal our infirmities. He is able and will make us prosperous. He is able and will able to comfort the broken hearted. MY GOD IS ABLE AND WILL…..
If you put this with all the other scriptures, you find that God who is our ‘daddy’ is able to bless us and will bless us in everything we do, everything we ask for, everything we can imagine.
Only through waiting on the Lord are we to find him Able and Willing to do all we can ask or think. Be patient, be steadfast in the Lord, meditate (speak forth aloud) the scriptures. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength. Are you going to be a Turkey? Bound to this world, barely able to get off the ground? Or are you going to be an Eagle, soaring in the heights, free, unbound by this world? The choice is yours.
Father, I ask you bless each person that reads this is in a special way. That you give them the patience to wait on you in every aspect of their lives. We know you are on the scene and you will take these problems and cares and desires and imaginations and bring them to fruition. Thank you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Faith Studies 