Run and Not Be Weary?
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
I ’m in a rush! I’m late! There is bumper-to-bumper traffic everywhere! Well, I’ll just have to sit here. Okay—while I’m sitting, I can at least
plan and think about what comes next . . .
Why am I always in a rush? My personality is such that waiting is difficult by any stretch of the imagination! We are living in a hurry-up, get-it-done-now
sort of world. My thoughts turn toward a song on the radio. Its message is, “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; they shall walk, and not faint.” Hmmm, “They that wait . . .” Those words are food
for thought.
As I ponder the message of that song, the thought occurs to me that this is a promise from God. The Bible is full of such wonderful promises—all
of which I believe to be 100% true. As I examine this particular promise, the human side of me wonders if it is possible to run and not be weary,
or to walk and not faint. At this particular moment, my feet are aching, my head is throbbing, and actually, I am not sure I have the energy to
fly anywhere! Perhaps you can relate.
Taking a step back from the immediate, we are able to get a clearer perspective of this wonderful promise God has given us, and to realize that this
is not meant in physical terms but as spiritual stamina. What does it mean to “wait upon the Lord”? One synonym for the word wait, is
rest. Now, in my book, to wait and to rest make me tired just thinking of them! Waiting takes energy and patience. Resting is only something
I do at the end of the day because I have to.
In Psalm 40:1, David tells us of the benefits he reaped because he waited on the Lord: God lifted him out of despair, set his feet on a rock, gave
him a firm place to stand, and gave him a new song of praise. These are benefits worth waiting for!
Let me take a look at that verse again—if I am willing to wait on, or rest in the Lord, He will renew my strength, He will help me progress in
my walk with Him, and will keep me strong. Don’t you just love the Lord? His benefits are beyond measure—yet available to us if we simply
wait upon Him!