12 04 07 Waiting is not Wasting
(IV)

There is Strength… and there is Godly Strength?

“LORD, be merciful to us! We wait for you. Give us strength each morning! Deliver us when distress comes.”
(Isaiah 33:2 NET)

We come across some strong individuals today. Many single parents come to mind; working long, hard hours, caring for their children, and always finding time to help others as well. We know of many who have come from challenging backgrounds, yet have overcome despite circumstances. Many have fought and won the battle against cancer. But nothing…nothing beats the STRENGTH we receive from the Lord to follow His ways despite what the world throws at us. Living for His glory is a challenge, but one He gives us STRENGTH to do each morning! THERE IS STRENGTH… AND THERE IS GODLY STRENGTH!

“But those who wait for the LORD’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 NET)

By waiting (Hebrew qawah, pronounced kah-vah) the prophet means a longing for the fulfillment of the promise by faith, but it is a longing or looking for that is characterized by confident expectation. Waiting requires patience; but it is never indifferent. There is always a restlessness, an eagerness, a looking for something, an inner vigil. To hope for something is active. The term describes the essence of a confident, expectant faith. The Israelites, who believed the promises of the LORD, were ready to step out when God began to move. They believed the release was coming; they waited for it. They knew it would happen; they just did not know exactly when. Their confidence would grow as they went because their way back to Judah would be the fulfillment of the promised hope.
Believers living now at the end of the age in the expectation of the coming of the Lord need the same kind of confidence. To hope for the coming of the LORD does not imply that there is a chance it might not happen; rather, it implies an active faith in the truth of His coming. It will happen; they are expecting it soon. Those who wait for the LORD will not be entangled by this life, but will be focused on the spiritual preparation for His appearance. They live out their faith in the light of that hope; they will find their strength renewed for life’s difficulties along the way.1

His STRENGTH allows us to stare adversity in the face and trust Him. His STRENGTH allows us to face challenges day-by-day and do things His way. His STRENGTH allows us to get up when others would rather give up. His STRENGTH causes others to ask “why?”, “how?”, and “who?” When we WAIT upon His strength we not only please our DADDY, others see Him at work in us and want to know Him as well.

THERE IS STRENGTH… AND THERE IS GODLY STRENGTH!


1 Ross, Allen , Th.D., Ph.D., A Message of Comfort to God’s People, Copyright 2007. bible.org