Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Isaiah 40:31
A few weeks ago, our senior pastor issued a challenge during his biographical sketch sermon about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The challenge was to meditate on the same verse of scripture daily for a week, like Bonhoeffer did. The pastor called it “mining the verse for hidden riches.” I took up the challenge and chose to meditate on Isaiah 40:31, not really expecting to find any gold nuggets.
But on the first day, I hit the motherlode while exploring this question: What does it mean to wait upon the Lord? The image of a restaurant waiter came to mind, and in an instant, my definition of waiting changed. Waiting was no longer a passive act. It was active. Because waiting is serving. And serving is a form of waiting.
I didn’t want to explore this vein of thought any further. I liked it better when my waiting on the Lord was passive. When I could pray and read my Bible and wait for God to tell me what to do, arrange all the particulars to make it happen, and then do my small part without working too hard.
I didn’t want waiting on the Lord to be active. I don’t want it to be a call to pray for ways to serve. A call to read my Bible and then follow Christ’s example of service. A call to look for ways to serve instead of waiting for God to drop them in my lap. A call to arrange things so his work could move forward. A call to do things that are new, hard, uncomfortable and make me sweat.
I didn’t like this new definition of waiting on the Lord, and maybe you don’t either. Because it doesn’t let us off the hook. It doesn’t let us ignore bulletin announcements about helpers needed for soccer camp. It doesn’t allow for excuses like, “I can’t volunteer to help with slides for Sunday morning, because I’ve never done them before.” In fact, the second half of this verse silences any doubt about personal abilities, any pleas of inadequacy. It promises the strength to soar to new heights and boundless energy for those who actively wait upon the Lord.
This verse about waiting on the Lord is a call to service. A call to wait expectantly, a call to read the bulletin and volunteer when we can. A call to recognize unseen needs and meet them when we’re able. A call to act when we’d rather wait for someone more qualified, more equipped, or more experienced to fill the gap.
This verse is about expecting God to give us strength to soar when we step forward to serve. This verse is about trusting God to fulfill his promises through us when we serve. And if the promises in this verse are true, they beg a hard question.
What are we waiting for?
