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. –Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
I recall when my brother and I were small boys we
were given a gift of Superman costumes complete with capes. It
was not Halloween, so I figure we must have pestered our parents to
the point they relented and bought us the suits. Superman was
popular at the time, so the suits were all the rage. I wish I
had those costumes today in good condition as they might fetch a good
price at an online auction. My brother and I wore the suits for
a number of days running around the house and the yard before the novelty
wore off. Something that also stands out in my memory of our Superman
suit phase is the warning label on the costumes. It read, “Warning,
wearing these suits does NOT give the wearer the ability to fly.”
I was probably about eight at the time, and while
I was no precocious genius, I remember thinking, “Are they serious?
Is this a joke?” Even then, I could picture some poor kid climbing to the roof of the
house and thinking that because he was wearing the Superman costume
he could fly. The results of such an experiment would have been
at least tragic. This may explain the eventual disappearance of
the Superman costumes.
God’s Word promises that when we wait on the Lord
our strength is renewed. God is the One who renews us. We
are then empowered to soar upward and above whatever trial we are facing.
God strengthens us when we wait on Him and His perfect will. This
promised strengthening encompasses spiritual, physical, and emotional
strength for moving forward and facing the challenges of life.
So often we feel like giving up, yet God tells us
to wait. Many years ago, an older and wise pastor shared with
me some wonderful advice. He said that when I find myself facing
challenges and problems in the church, do not start looking for another
church. “Wait,” he said. “Wait on the Lord and see
what happens. Don’t leave, but instead wait and see.” I have
practiced this more times than I can recall and the result is over 17
years of ministry in the same church. God has truly brought us
through many trials and it is because of waiting upon Him and His will
to be done. This advice works well in everyday life. Wait
on the Lord. Do not panic and jump ship. Instead, pray,
seek God, be calm, stay in the Word, move forward in faith, and wait
on the Lord. God will work it out to His glory and your benefit.
No doubt you are facing problems of one kind or another.
Trust God, be patient, and wait on the Lord.
God bless you today.
