"But they that 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 40:31).

Definitions of the word "wait":
1. To remain or rest in expectation:
2. To serve the needs of; be in attendance on.

I've decided to use the second definition for this verse in writing this column. Not long ago I heard a minister preaching about this verse and he used the second definition of wait. It has really stuck with me over the past few months.

Let's look at Noah he waited on the Lord, for 120 years he waited. But he didn't sit and wait, he served! I don't know about you, but I haven't really WAITED on God all the time like I should.

Think of it as going into a restaurant, you expect your waiter to serve you. Bring you drinks, take your order, provide the silver ware, etc. When you walk in you don't expect the wait staff to sit there and look at you and do nothing.

When God says wait He doesn't mean sit down kick your feet up and rest a spell.

Once again look at Noah:

1. While he waited.... He drew up his plans
2. While he waited.... He gathered wood
3. While he waited.... He got the nails he needed
4. While he waited.... He built the ark
5. While he waited.... He gathered the animals

Well, you get the picture. He was working, serving, providing what was being asked of him. He didn't sit down and say okay, I'm going to wait patiently for God to build the ark then get my family inside. No he was waiting on God.

What was happening to Noah? He was renewing his strength. With every hammer of the nail. With ever placement of wood, his strength in God was growing stronger. Why because he was being a server, he was paying attention to God, he was being an excellent waiter.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN, TO WAIT ON HIM? Waiting is not a passive thing, where you do nothing, and ask for everything, then stand around and wait for it to be handed to you. To wait on means we have to be active, sincere, dependent on Him. We put our trust in Him. We don't have any misgivings about His faithfulness. We rely and lean heavily upon Him for our strength. We wait (serve) Him with faith, trust, and active obedience.

When you wait on God, He is available to renew your strength then you can mount up with wings like eagles ... run and not be weary; walk, and not faint. God wants our attention, he wants us to wait (serve) Him.

So I ask you what does the word 'wait' mean to you? What comes into your mind when you here wait? Do you think of sitting around just waiting for someone to show up? Do you have an image of people waiting on tables in a restaurant. I believe that the word 'wait' has far less to do with our waiting for something we need. And lots to do with God waiting for our decision to (wait) serve Him regardless of what happens next. While you are waiting on God, bind yourself to God's will, accept His plan for your lives and be eager to do whatever He commands.

Waiting on the Lord does not mean we are to sit around until God does something for us. When a waiter serves you in a restaurant they come up to you, ask what you want and then they bring it to you. If you are going to successfully wait on God you need to discover God's will for you. I think that sometimes we are afraid to ask God what He wants us to do. We would prefer to (wait; rest) than to (wait; work).

Waiting on God doesn't mean you just sit back (see first definition) and wait on Jesus to come back. It doesn't mean you are just hanging out waiting to have your needs supplied. To wait on the Lord requires you to do a service for Him. To give of yourself to Him, to work for Him.

Isaiah compares God's people to an eagle. Not sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, but eagles. Think of what a majestic bird the eagle is. He has a keen eyesight, he is full of courage and strength. And he has speed in flight. He soars in the heavens. When an eagle sees an approaching storm, he will sits on his perch and when the storm arrives guess what, he doesn't fly off to get away from the storm. No! He will fly into it. The eagle might get tossed around, and jerked this way and that. But, he keeps flying straight into the storm until the winds lift him high above the clouds. Then the eagle will soar above the storm."

"But they that 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." Did you notice anything? The eagle sat and waited until the storm got stronger, and then he began to work to get above his situation. The storm gave him the strength to soar higher than any other creature.

God is looking for some eagles. He is looking for those of us who will fly into the storms of life. Then He will use the wind of the Holy Spirit to lift us above our storms.

It's time to wait on the Lord. He needs some waiters, who don't mind asking "What can I do for you? Do you need me to visit the sick, clean the church, sing in the choir, teach a Sunday School class, help in the nursery, and witness to my neighbor? What can I do in order to be a better waiter?" He wants you to ask Him these questions and so many more so that you may know in what way you can wait on Him.

I'll leave you with the following quote:

You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.
- The Lion King

"But they that 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 40:31).

Have you forgotten your place in the circle of life? Have you forgotten God? Have you become a person who sits back and waits? Or do you move around and constantly work at waiting on God? God doesn't want you to be inactive, He wants you to be proactive. Only then will you increases your strength, only then will you run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.

God treats His waiters with love. He supplies our needs, and has promised us a home with Him forever. As long as we serve Him. Work at waiting on Him. You just can't beat those kinds of tips! God gives us way more than a 15 or 20% tip.

So today I am asking you to ask God, "what can I do for you?" How may I serve you? He is an awesome and faithful God and deserves the best we can give Him.

Love & Prayers,
Kathy