Strength will rise….
…as we wait upon the Lord. The song “Everlasting God” was playing on the radio this morning as I was driving Will to school and I haven’t been able to get that phrase out of my mind. Strength will rise AS we wait upon the Lord. And I ask myself the question….”Why do I feel like my strength and faith begin to fade while I am “waiting” upon the Lord? ” then again… what does it mean to wait upon the Lord? So often I think I subconsciously think it means I have this burning prayer request that I’m waiting for the Lord to respond to… I have this desire or need I’m waiting for Him to resolve. But this morning…could waiting upon the Lord mean a daily “reliance” on the Lord…. as a server or “waiter” in a restaurant waits upon me…could it mean in waiting upon my Lord…in my serving Him…I am strengthened? And am I relying on Him and serving Him daily…in the daily ‘life’ things?… or just in the ’struggles’… the ‘tragedies’?
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)
We live in a neighborhood entitled, “Eagle Point.” Actually there are times when you can look up in the sky and see Eagles flying around overhead. They really are amazing birds. I was watching one the other day and noticing how they seem to always be flying with a purpose… They are always circling above… flying HIGH in the sky… if one is somewhat lower you can notice his head always turning and searching. They never are roaming hear and there..dropping in on each backyard bird-feeder…. or resting on a fence post… or hopping grassy lawns as I’ve seen so many little finches doing. No…. if they are out and about… it is with purpose….they fly in power… searching for food…and substantial food at that.
And I thought about that verse above in regards to my waiting on the Lord. I want to live my life in strength and purpose like the eagles… I want to not get distracted by the backyard bird-feeders… and the grassy lawns… I want to stay away from the “cats” that lie in the bushes prowling to devour me(as I’ve seen my cat, Banjo patiently, yet eagerly wait in our shrubs constantly eyeing our bird-feeder)…. I want to feed on substantial food. I want to wait upon the Lord for everything. Rely on Him to grant me patience with my children in the morning (my most difficult time of day)…. patience with my husband in the evening (my most difficult time of day in speaking gentleness to him–right when he walks in the door… the kids are hungry… it’s dinnertime… just very stressful for me)….reliance on Him as I battle MY OWN sins and issues that are truly of the devil….I want my “waiting” to not be a literally waiting to see Him answer my prayers… but a “searching” for Him in everything–a serving Him in everything. A constant searching for Him in my response to Josh’s CONSTANT whining… to Emma Faye’s restless sleep… to Will’s continued disobedience in staying in his bed at night…to Chris’s needs….a constant reaction to my life’s circumstances and being Christ-like in all of those things. I don’t know if this is making any sense. I know that God’s word IS TRUTH. So… in my waiting upon the Lord, I am guaranteed strength and victory in these things. I am guaranteed to run these races and not become tired. I am actually writing this at my gym (they have some computers here)… and I’m about to go running…..this morning I’m dreading it! The thought of ever running and not being tired is very foreign to me… but in Christ… there is that kind of strength!!! Isn’t that crazy! But so true! I have the tools I need….I must wait upon the Lord…in my tired… emotional…irritable…impatient….sinful state…my strength “will rise” as I wait… as I search for Him in and through all things. So here is where I’m at today. I can only manage one day at a time….baby steps…but today I am going to try and make a conscious decision to serve my Lord.. rather than myself. Serving myself is exhausting……Serving my Lord, I “will walk and will not become weary.” I pray all of you are strengthened today in your faith, in your endurance, in your patience, in your wisdom, in your love for others…..as you wait upon the Lord.
