"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who 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 40:30-31 MEV
All of us have been told time and again to learn to "wait upon the Lord." I've heard that said among many Christian circles, but I think many of us don't really get what "waiting on the Lord" means.
More Than Just Waiting
The word "wait" in Isaiah 40:31 is the Hebrew word "qavah," corresponding to Strong's number 6960. The word means "to wait eagerly for." This gives us the idea that those who wait upon the Lord don't just sit down and do nothing, expecting that God would be the one to make decisions for us, and even work on our behalf as if He were some servant and we were His masters. Sadly, this is how many Christians perceive it to be!
To help explain what I want to say, I have outlined three things waiting on God isn't.
1. Being Lazy
Christians who say they're "waiting on God" but don't do what they are supposed to do are simply using the phrase to excuse their laziness. Seriously, God doesn't like this.
Matthew 25:24-30 gives us the account of the lazy servant who simply "waited" for the Master to return. This servant was foolish to not let the talent entrusted to him grow interest, and so he was banished into the "outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (see v.30). Scary.
2. Doing Nothing for God
While we're all familiar with the story of the prodigal son, many of us have forgotten that he has a brother (see Luke 15:25-32). This older brother never left the house and always obeyed his dad, but ironically, he never enjoyed what was his in the first place – all that belongs to his father (see verse 31).
Many of us "wait on God" to bless us and lift us up. Actually, He already did that at the cross of Christ (see Ephesians 1:3). The thing is, we are not living in the identity that He has for us. In essence, many of us who say we're "waiting on God" are actually the ones who keep God waiting!
Read this: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours" (see verse 31). Let that sink in.
3. Being Unsure of What God Wants
Another way we keep God waiting (oh yes we do) is when we say we're "waiting on Him" but don't actually seek Him. We could be Christians for decades, going to church Sunday after Sunday. But until we eagerly seek God's face and His will, we aren't going anywhere in our walk as Christ-followers.
Consider Philip, one of Jesus' very own disciples:
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him," [Jesus told His disciples.]
"Philip said to Him [in response], 'Lord, show us the Father, and that is sufficient for us.'
"Jesus said to him [in reply], 'Have I been with you such a long time, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. But the Father who lives in Me does the works." (John 14:7-10 MEV emphasis mine)
How ironic could it be that Jesus' own disciple would not know God the Father? But it did happen. And if it happened to Philip, it could happen to us. We should desire to seek God, His will, and obey it! TIP: It's all in His Word!
