To Live is Christ — wait and be renewed

Yesterday for my devotions I was supposed to switch to a new passage, but didn’t open the guide and posted more thoughts on the one I’d been reading the day before. Now I realize how perfect today’s reading is for both yesterday and the way that I feel today. It is a favorite verse.

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)

The devotional book paraphrases this verse without using the eagle image, but I like it too. It says,

God shares His strength with those who trust completely in Him and are willing to hold on until His timing is right. Their trust in the Lord takes them higher than they ever dreamed, farther than they could ever go on their own, and gives them the energy to keep going even though ordinarily they wouldn’t be strong enough to stand.

Waiting on God means to look for Him, to expect Him, to linger rather than moving on without Him. Instead of struggling to regain energy, He bids me to be still before Him and expect His help. He has a way of renewing strength that is unlike even a ten-hour sleep.

The eagle image makes sense to me and to anyone who has seen an eagle. There is power in those wings. In Alaska, we watched them soar above the inlet of the Kenai River. Even in severe winds, their wings rule the air. This reminds me that God’s energy can face all obstacles and still keep going.

Isaiah also alludes to a runner that is in good shape, able to go the distance without falling to exhaustion. This speaks of the short tasks that require a super burst of speed or energy. He also might be thinking of a hiker who covers miles and miles without getting tired. That reminds me of those longer assignments or trials where perseverance is needed.

These images describe the strength that God gives those who rely on Him. It goes beyond physical strength, even beyond the boost that adrenalin gives. After the task is done, physical fatigue can set in, but for the time that energy is needed, God supplies both physical and spiritual vigor.

The word that fits me this past couple of days is “renew” for that is what I needed and what God is doing for me. I had a battle with A-fib and even though it was due to my lack of caution, God still renewed my strength. He does not have me flying high (probably because I don’t need to), but I am going through my days without exhaustion. My heartbeat is back to normal, and I’m walking without getting weary. Because of this promise, I can gladly wait for His direction regarding each decision and task that faces me. I know that whatever He wants me to do, He will supply what I need to do it. For that, I praise Him.