Renewal

 Isaiah 40:31 ESV

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.


Waiting has never been easy. Nowadays, with phones that distract us, waiting seems harder than ever as our attention spans seem to shorten! Isaiah insists that the Lord is worth the wait.

Isaiah's turn of phrase is interesting. In English we sometimes say that you've got to walk before you can run. Here however Isaiah even puts flying before walking, never mind running.

John Bunyan has a great quote about the Law telling us to walk but not giving us crutches. The Gospel on the other hand tells us to fly and gives us wings. The emphasis in Scripture is not upon us and our waiting, but upon the Lord and his enabling.

I think Isaiah is looking forward to eternity here in one sense. He's not saying we can literally fly if we trust in Jesus. Yet if our risen Lord could ascend to glory, we shall too, through faith in him.

'Dear Lord, please help us to patiently wait for you, even as we long for your return. We ask for your honour and praise, amen'.


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