Listen:
…”but those who wait for 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)
Reflect:
As I read this verse my eyes go back to the first word “but”. With a verse beginning with “but”, I feel compelled to look at the verses before.
“Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but…”
As a grandma of 8 fabulous grandkids, I often watch them with their boundless energy, and long to bottle it for me to use, trying to keep up with them. Often I feel physically and mentally weary. Likewise, eventually, even these littles run out of steam.
Yet, waiting on the Lord gives new strength!
Another way of saying “Wait on the Lord”, is “Hope in the Lord”.
What are you waiting for? Hoping in? A life without pain? Wealth? Popularity? Approval? Friends? And the list goes on and on.
Think about the Samaritan women at the well. Jesus asks her for a drink of water. This man, a Jew, was talking to her, a Samaritan woman, and asking for water. Then he reveals that he knows all about her and tells her he can give her “living water”. The water from the well will not satisfy, but the water He has to offer will never run dry.
“…but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14 )
So I ask myself, ‘what water am I seeking?’ Where do I put my hope? Do I drink the water from the world for temporary pleasures? Am I trying to quench my own thirst? Yes, sometimes I do…probably more often than not, and it does not satisfy. I get thirsty again. Waiting for, hoping in Jesus provides living water from a well that never runs dry.
Prayer of Response:
Abba Father, I have a difficult time keeping my eyes on you instead of the circumstances around me. Help me to live life with my hope in you in all I do, and all I desire.
Questions to Ponder:
- How can you tell if Jesus is your source of living water?
- How do you hold on to this hope when the circumstances of life entice, or overwhelm you?
For further encouragement and reflection read Revelation 22:1-5 and 1 Peter 1:3-5.
—Submitted by Stephanie Edsall
Stephanie and her husband Mike currently live in Beverly Massachusetts, and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. Stephanie is on the Global Leadership Team of Lifesprings International and serves on the prayer team and PACT (Peace Amidst Conflict Training team) She enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, hiking, biking, kayaking, and pretty much any other activity that involves being outdoors.