Waiting on the Lord

One of my favorite promises of Scripture is the beautiful words of Isaiah 40:31.  Here are a few thoughts and reflections on that verse...

"But those who wait on 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."

The word for "wait" has the ideas of "hope" and "expectancy" at its root.  Consider Lamentations 3:22-26:  "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Note:  The juxtaposition of "wait for Him" and "the soul who seeks Him" implies that the two are related, if not synonymous.  That this wonderful promise would be set in the dreadful circumstances of Lamentations makes it all the more potent.

The phrase "on eagle's wings" described God's care for the nation of Israel during their wanderings in the Sinai desert for 40 years after leaving Egypt.

Exodus 19:4-6   “’You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and kept My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.  And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’  These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

The blessings of salvation are compared to such a renewal.

"like eagles"-Psalm 103:1-5  Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Much of what is in this passage reminds me of what it means to be saved by Jesus Christ.  We are free to honor God-the very purpose for our existence.  We are given many benefits (cf. Ephesians 1).  Our sins are forgiven even though we can never make them right by our own work.  We have a covenant of health and healing, fulfilled ultimately with our resurrection body, yet we can pray for healing at all times.  We are redeemed from destruction-from Hell.  We enjoy the kindness and mercy of God, who provides for us what we need for each day.

The promise does not mean that daily life is always easy.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10  "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

This appears to be an example of the Apostle Paul's youth being renewed "like the eagle's" even though the phrase is not in the text.  However difficult the circumstances, and they were very difficult, he always had what he really needed to carry on, and his inner vision of the permanent eternal diminished his focus on the temporary present.  Would that we all would have such vision.  The Apostle does not ignore his difficulties, but even in the midst of them feels himself renewed and sees the "weight of glory" that will be the ultimate result.

Prayer:  Dear Father, I pray for everyone who reads these notes, that we all would have a vision of eternity that colors our understanding of this present age with its many difficulties.  Especially for those Christians who face persecution or extreme challenges in life, I pray for the wings of eagles promised in Your precious Word.  May all who read this feel the same renewal in their heart and soul.  May they have victory in everyday life and may their vision of the eternal grow even stronger than their understanding of the present.  In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.