Wait On The Lord
Isaiah 40:31: “but they who wait for 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”
Have you ever been to a really nice restaurant? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Chick-Fil-A Spicy Deluxe with the pepper jack and some waffle fries, but I’m talking about a really nice restaurant. One where they have valet parking, the type of place with a dress code, make a reservation, as soon as the host seats you your server greets you with a smile and immediately starts pouring your waters. This is the kind of place where each worker has a certain level of attentiveness to create the perfect experience for you, the customer. From the moment you arrive at the restaurant’s doors, to the moment the valet hands you your keys at the end of the night the staff’s priority is to wait on you. You don’t need to work too hard to get the attention of this staff. If you need something they’re always quick to accommodate, and even better, it never seems like a burden to make sure you’re satisfied.
The amplified version of this text says “But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]…” in this text we are to be the wait staff. Looking for any opportunities to serve the Lord, with a quickness and with joy. It’s this type of waiting where our strength will be renewed. I think, in 2025, we hear “wait” and then we get passive. Like when we used to have to “wait” for my mother to get ready for church, sitting in an idling car with our father while mom finishes upstairs. This verb in the original language is “qāvāh” and it’s rooted in the idea of “binding together” like braiding a rope. We aren’t just passively waiting around for God to work everything out, but instead we should be expectant, and clinging to Him full of faith in the waiting.
There are plenty of stories where an active waiting is central to the story. Noah and the Ark, David, Abraham and Sarah, but the one I’d like to focus on is Joseph the one with the coat of many colors. Joseph was 17 years old when he received the dream of the promise (Gen 37). And then 13 years later he finally walks into that promise by becoming second in command to Pharaoh (Gen. 41). In those 13 years, however, he was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers, lied on by Potiphar’s wife, thrown in jail, stuck in jail, and forgotten for years. The through line of the text is “the Lord was with Joseph”. Joseph would have to be “qāvāh” with the Lord for the Lord to be with him. One of the cool things about God is not only that is with us in the waiting, but he also tends to repay the time that has been lost (Joel 2:25). From promise to palace was 13 years, which is a long time, yes, but in Genesis 50 Joseph dies at 110. So f0r 80 years Joseph is living in the promise of God, working as Pharaoh’s second in command and being a blessing to his family, God’s people. And the famine only lasted 7 years, so I can only assume that the rest of his time in his position was probably pretty great.
It may feel hard now, and it may seem like God is nowhere to be found in this waiting season. Just cling to him, with an active waiting, and He will renew your strength!
Devo Written by Awaken Music Director, Zac Vaughn
