Strength for the Waiting
08/01/2026
Waiting is hard.
We don’t mind working. We don’t mind moving. We don’t mind seeing progress. But waiting? Waiting can feel like nothing is happening. We pray, we hope, we trust… and then we wait some more. If you’ve ever wondered whether God is doing anything while you’re waiting, Isaiah reminds us that waiting is never wasted when our hope is in the Lord.
“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.”
- Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
Isaiah 40 is a chapter written to people who desperately needed encouragement. Israel had grown weary. They felt forgotten. They questioned whether God still saw them or cared about what they were facing. Earlier in the chapter, Isaiah answers those fears by reminding them that the Creator of the universe never grows tired, never loses strength, and never overlooks His children.
Then comes one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture.
Notice that God doesn’t promise to remove every delay. He promises to renew the people who trust Him through the delay.
Our culture teaches us that waiting is wasted time. God teaches us that waiting is often where He does His deepest work. While we’re asking God to change our circumstances, He is often changing our character. While we’re asking for quick answers, He’s building a faith that doesn’t depend on immediate results.
The word wait here carries the idea of hopeful expectation. It isn’t sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. It’s choosing to trust God even when we can’t yet see what He’s doing. It’s waking up each morning believing that the same God who has been faithful before will be faithful again.
I think about a child learning to ride a bicycle. They look back every few seconds to see if Dad is still there. They don’t need Dad to pedal for them. They simply need to know he hasn’t walked away. Many of us are doing the same thing with God. We glance back through our circumstances wondering, “Lord, are You still here?” The answer is yes. He hasn’t left. He’s still guiding. He’s still strengthening. He’s still holding you, even when the road feels uncertain.
Isaiah also paints three beautiful pictures. Sometimes God enables us to soar above difficult circumstances like an eagle catching the wind. Other times He gives us strength to run through demanding seasons without giving up. But most days? Most days He simply helps us walk faithfully, one step at a time.
I’ve always appreciated that order. We all want to soar. We admire those mountaintop moments when everything seems to fall into place. Yet most of life isn’t lived soaring. It’s lived walking.
Faithfulness isn’t measured by how high you fly but by whether you keep walking with Jesus when life feels ordinary, exhausting, or uncertain.
If today feels heavy, don’t assume God has forgotten you. Your waiting may be the very place where He is renewing your strength for what comes next.
Action Steps
* Spend a few quiet minutes today thanking God for His faithfulness in past seasons of waiting.
* Identify one area where you’ve been tempted to rush ahead of God, and intentionally surrender it back to Him.
* Encourage someone else who is in a season of waiting with a call, text, or prayer.
Challenge for the Day
Instead of asking, “God, when will this be over?” ask, “God, what are You teaching me while I wait?” Then listen with an open heart.
Prayer
Father, waiting is not easy. There are days when I grow tired and wonder if You’re still working. Thank You for reminding me that You never grow weary and that You never abandon Your children. Renew my strength today. Help me trust Your timing more than my own and give me the faith to keep walking with You, one step at a time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
Waiting is hard.
We don’t mind working. We don’t mind moving. We don’t mind seeing progress. But waiting? Waiting can feel like nothing is happening. We pray, we hope, we trust… and then we wait some more. If you’ve ever wondered whether God is doing anything while you’re waiting, Isaiah reminds us that waiting is never wasted when our hope is in the Lord.
“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.”
- Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
Isaiah 40 is a chapter written to people who desperately needed encouragement. Israel had grown weary. They felt forgotten. They questioned whether God still saw them or cared about what they were facing. Earlier in the chapter, Isaiah answers those fears by reminding them that the Creator of the universe never grows tired, never loses strength, and never overlooks His children.
Then comes one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture.
Notice that God doesn’t promise to remove every delay. He promises to renew the people who trust Him through the delay.
Our culture teaches us that waiting is wasted time. God teaches us that waiting is often where He does His deepest work. While we’re asking God to change our circumstances, He is often changing our character. While we’re asking for quick answers, He’s building a faith that doesn’t depend on immediate results.
The word wait here carries the idea of hopeful expectation. It isn’t sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. It’s choosing to trust God even when we can’t yet see what He’s doing. It’s waking up each morning believing that the same God who has been faithful before will be faithful again.
I think about a child learning to ride a bicycle. They look back every few seconds to see if Dad is still there. They don’t need Dad to pedal for them. They simply need to know he hasn’t walked away. Many of us are doing the same thing with God. We glance back through our circumstances wondering, “Lord, are You still here?” The answer is yes. He hasn’t left. He’s still guiding. He’s still strengthening. He’s still holding you, even when the road feels uncertain.
Isaiah also paints three beautiful pictures. Sometimes God enables us to soar above difficult circumstances like an eagle catching the wind. Other times He gives us strength to run through demanding seasons without giving up. But most days? Most days He simply helps us walk faithfully, one step at a time.
I’ve always appreciated that order. We all want to soar. We admire those mountaintop moments when everything seems to fall into place. Yet most of life isn’t lived soaring. It’s lived walking.
Faithfulness isn’t measured by how high you fly but by whether you keep walking with Jesus when life feels ordinary, exhausting, or uncertain.
If today feels heavy, don’t assume God has forgotten you. Your waiting may be the very place where He is renewing your strength for what comes next.
Action Steps
* Spend a few quiet minutes today thanking God for His faithfulness in past seasons of waiting.
* Identify one area where you’ve been tempted to rush ahead of God, and intentionally surrender it back to Him.
* Encourage someone else who is in a season of waiting with a call, text, or prayer.
Challenge for the Day
Instead of asking, “God, when will this be over?” ask, “God, what are You teaching me while I wait?” Then listen with an open heart.
Prayer
Father, waiting is not easy. There are days when I grow tired and wonder if You’re still working. Thank You for reminding me that You never grow weary and that You never abandon Your children. Renew my strength today. Help me trust Your timing more than my own and give me the faith to keep walking with You, one step at a time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
Recent
Archive
2026
January
Embracing God’s New BeginningsRenewed, Not Worn DownThe Gift of Rest, Not a BurdenOne Thing I AskTransformed, Not ConformedArise and ShineFor His Glory in the OrdinaryChoosing Generosity Over ConvenienceAbide and Bear FruitDon’t Forget the BenefitsSetting an Example in Every SeasonLosing to LiveReady When He ComesThe Low Road That Leads to LifeWhere Your Heart Truly LivesThe God Who Sings Over YouRest That Goes Deeper Than SleepUnited in ChristHow Good and PleasantOvercome Evil with Active GoodThe Strong TowerActivated FaithNo Condemnation—Only FreedomThe Goodness Found in WaitingConfessing and RemainingUnder the Same SkyTeach Me to Walk in Your WillAnxious for NothingThere Is No Rock Like Our GodLiving the Word, Not Just Hearing ItStirred to Love
February
A Soul That Magnifies the LordStrong Where It Matters MostWalking Through the Darkest ValleyThe Golden WayA Word That Lifts the WeightRun With PurposeTraining for What LastsJoy That Grows Under PressureWhen Anxiety Multiplies, God SustainsRefined by the FireGrace That OverflowsStrength for Every SeasonUnashamed to Bear His NameDevoted to One AnotherThe Joy of a Righteous ChildWalking in LoveThe Glory That Fills the EarthFinish WellThe Pain That Produces PeaceOur Only AimThe Way, The Truth, The LifeStrength to Seek HimThe Whole Duty of ManTreasure Hidden in the FieldO Lord, You Are My GodDelight Yourself in the LordWalk in His StepsFriend Who Sticks Closer
March
The Long-Suffering Love of GodOvercome Evil with GoodBe Strong and CourageousMorning GuidanceThe Quiet Power of GenerosityWhat We See Is Not All There IsThe Faithful ProtectorStrength and DignityCasting What We CarryCharm Fades, But Reverence RemainsThe Voice of the Good ShepherdPeace That Changes EverythingBefore Everything ElseFor Such a Time as ThisWhen Life Turns, Turn to GodMake His Name KnownTrusting the God Who Sees the Whole RoadGreater Is He Within YouSurely Goodness and Love Will FollowThere Is Still a Rest for YouWhen Fear KnocksA Sorrow That Leads to LifeWhen Your Soul Thirsts for MoreOpen Hands, Open HeavenUnstoppable PeaceWhen Seeking Becomes SurrenderUnited in Spirit, Rooted in ChristThe Lifter of My HeadBlessed Is the KingBehold the Lamb Who Takes Away SinThe King Who Came to Serve
No Comments