Wait Upon the Lord
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint- Isaiah 40:31
With gratitude to God, the Creator of the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit our Comforter, I welcome you and yours to the last month of the year 2022, the month of December. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, where would we have been (Psalm 124)? The Lord deserves our praise, glory, honor, and adoration for His extended mercy over us throughout the year 2022. “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold,” Psalm 18:1-2 (NKJV)
As the year draws to an end, we need to draw closer to the Lord with a grateful heart by waiting upon Him. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.”
This verse is one of the classic jewels of the Scriptures, Isaiah 40:31, which showcases the unwearied God and the fainting strength of man. The word of God states that if we are weak and without strength, God urges us to wait upon Him. That can be very difficult for most people, yet God urges us to do it according to His words in the scriptures:
Psalm 27:14—Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 25:3a—Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed.
Psalm 33:20—Our soul waited for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.
When we wait upon the Lord, we are making the decision to abide in Him. We mirror the leading of the Lord in our lives. Waiting on the Lord can invoke a variety of emotions.
Frightening: Will God come through? Will He keep His promise? Will He fulfill His words?
Disappointing: When will the Lord answer my prayer? How long will He take? Why am I going through this problem when there is no solution in view?
Fantastic: It’s fantastic as you see the Lord’s hand in meeting your need.
Fulfilling and Faith-building: It is fulfilling because you were patient, waited on Him, and He came through in His own time and way.
A man of God said, “Waiting is not just the thing we have to do until we get what we hope for. Waiting is the process of becoming what we hope for.”
Beloved, there are things yet to be learned while we wait on God that can’t be learned at any other time. We need to learn to trust Him despite open-ended circumstances or to be content with what we have or don’t have in light of all that He promises. These lessons, when embraced, will work in us with a deeper level of trust and a greater capacity for resting in God. So, while you wait for what you hope for, allow the Lord to accomplish the things for which He hopes for you.
As we look forward to the year 2023, we need to create time to wait on the Lord in prayer and fasting. Seek the Lord’s face during the year, and commit yourself and all yours into the hands of the Almighty God, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent.
When we wait upon the Lord, we shall renew our strength. When we wait on God, we exchange our weakness for His strength. What we cannot do, He can. What we cannot see, He can. When we are weak, with His strength, we become strong. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
PRAYERS
Lord Jesus, I thank you because you counted me worthy to be alive and to receive mercy from you.
I thank you for the blessings of the year 2022 and your promises in the scripture. Lord, let your name be exalted in the name of Jesus.
Father Lord, as I wait upon you, seeking your face please grant me open heaven in the year 2023.
Grant me the strength and the grace to never lose hope in you and to draw closer to you than in the past years in Jesus’ name.
Welcome to the month of December 2022. When you wait upon the Lord, you shall not be ashamed in Jesus’ name, Isaiah 49:23b.
Yours in the Lord,
Pastor Lillian Haastrup
