Wait on the Lord: Living in the Waiting

But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
they will run and not be weary,
they will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)

​ WAIT ON THE LORD

I recently commented to somebody, “I feel like I spend my entire life waiting for the next doctor’s appointment.” I made the remark in a rueful tone, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true it was. Harder yet, the waiting never ends — even when I finally get in to see a long-awaited doctor, I then wait on testing, or treatments, or a referral to another provider.

It seems like chronic illness is all about waiting — but life is all about waiting, too. No matter what season we are in, life is always an in-between. Ultimately, all Christians are waiting — waiting to go to our final home.

In Isaiah 40:31, the prophet talks about waiting on the Lord. This encouraging passage tells us that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint.

Doesn’t that sound nice — especially to those of us who may struggle to walk or run due to chronic illness? It’s a beautiful verse of Scripture, but I still find myself struggling at times with what to do with myself in the waiting. It feels like I’m just sitting around, wasting time.

Maybe you’ve felt this, too — like you’re wasting your life. The good news is that we’re not wasting anything. With God, waiting is never wasted. It might feel like my life is on hold while I wait, but we can’t actually put our lives on hold. We are still living, still breathing — and every day is a new chance to serve the Lord.

LIVING IN THE WAITING

Waiting on the Lord should be an active decision of putting our trust in Him. We long for the wait to be over, for the goal of our waiting to be realized — but we do have faith in the Lord, so we keep living in the meantime, serving the Lord and experiencing His faithfulness every day.

In the waiting, then, we live. In the large waitings and in the small waitings, we simply continue to live. We continue to create and we continue to love. We continue to learn and grow and do. Yes, we groan. Yes, we desperately long for something else, but life keeps marching on. While it does, we are of good courage, aiming to please the Lord with how we live in the waiting.

Waiting is hard, but it’s not permanent. This place of waiting is a place for us to experience the goodness of God.

PRAYER:

Dear God, it is difficult to wait. Help me put my trust in You. Show me how to live in the waiting. Let me serve You and see Your goodness, even here. Teach me how to wait well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER 

• Do you feel as if your life is on hold while you wait?
• How can you serve the Lord in this place of waiting?
• In what ways have you seen the goodness of God in this season?