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. (Isaiah 40:31).
By Robin Sam
ENGLISH teachers at school and college, and news editors who taught me the trade in journalism told me never to begin a sentence with the conjunction ‘but’. Sentences that begin with a ‘but’ cast doubt and sow disbelief in the hearts of the reader. But the ‘but’ in Isaiah 40:31 is a good but. It’s a positive conjunction.
The verse tells us that there’s a lot to be gained in waiting. Look at what happens to those who wait upon the Lord: They will renew (their strength), they will soar, they will run and they will walk. The order of action is important. Before walking comes waiting, renewing, soaring and running.
The world would say, ‘You need to walk before you can run and soar’. That’s common sense and simple logic. However, divine counsel defies logic because it’s supernatural. God’s plan for His children is as follows: Renew, soar, run and walk. Before these can happen, however, you need to wait. Wait on Him. He’s the source of your strength. It’s worth waiting on Jesus because He Himself, “the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary” (verse 28).
Before the Apostles received power from above on the day of Pentecost, they had to do some waiting. In Luke 24:49, Jesus had asked them to “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high”. And, the One who promised in Luke 24 delivered in Acts 2:4. There’s a lot to be gained in waiting. No waiting, no anointing.
