Wait on God and be Renewed!

Isaiah 40:28 (NKJV) Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on 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.

When we go through "stuff," we often just plain get tired! We tend to get so wrapped up in what is going on around us with the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget the source of true and lasting strength. I often ask people who come to me and empty out all their woes, "Where is God in the equation?" I want to ask them the questions found in verse 28 in the passage above.

Nothing takes God by surprise! He is there to give you strength. It is the answer to weariness. To whom does He promise to give the strength? "Those who wait on the LORD." Some people don't want to take the time to do that.

The original Hebrew word for "wait" is "qavah." It means "to wait, look for, hope, expect." According to www.blueletterbible.com, this Hebrew word is an "active participle." Going on to tell about that, it states, "The participle represents an action or condition in its unbroken continuity, and corresponds to the English verb, 'to be' with the present participle. It may be used of present, past or future time." Unbroken continuity...the more you wait on God, the more your strength will be renewed.

Notice how it says that "it may be used of present, past or future time." If trusting in God becomes your lifestyle, you will live with renewed strength! Think about it...if you can think back and remember that you relied on God in the past and that He brought peace and joy even in the midst of trials, it helps you to rely on Him presently. It also helps you to plan on continuing to rely on Him in the future. That, my friend, is where fear and worry are snuffed out! Oh, yes, it's easy to get your focus off of God and lose your peace for a time, but God is so faithful! He is right there where you left Him ready to get you back on track when you turn your focus back to Him.

You will keep [him] in perfect peace, [Whose] mind [is] stayed [on You], Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

How do you do that? Spend time with God! Try waking up earlier in the day, taking a break in the middle of the day, or staying up a little later before bed and just spend time with Him...not just with a prayer request list, but just because you want to be with Him. Start thanking Him for His faithfulness. Ask Him what He wants you to do. He may put it on your heart to read and meditate on a passage of scripture. He may want you to journal. He may want you to pray specifically for a situation. He may want you to listen to praise music. Just be led of the Spirit and enjoy experiencing Him! You will start to find that you will know when to say "no" to obligations He does not intend for you to do, and you will have strength to do the things He has planned for you to do. Deep breath! Be refreshed and renewed!

This is a Test!

This is a test. This is only a test. For the next 60 seconds...scratch that...for the rest of your life...you will be facing situations that will test you on many different levels! How will you respond? Too many times we are distracted by the test itself to really make any progress toward getting through it. You may have to read that sentence again! It's true, is it not? We also get distracted by how other people involved in the situation are acting...or NOT! We get distracted by how we think God needs to intervene. Yes, sometimes God does intervene and takes us out of the situation miraculously. But, more times than not, He allows us to go through some things to help make us stronger. Think about it. If you are like me, you can think back on some trying times and remember that it was in the hard times that you grew the most spiritually.

In the film, Letters to God, by David Nixon, produced by Vivendi Entertainment, a little boy, Tyler faces a serious test when he battles cancer. Throughout this battle, he poured his heart out to God by writing Him letters. The letters ended up having such an impact on his whole community. At one point in the film he was bothered by the fact that he was made fun of at school. His good friend, Sammy, took him to her grandpa, Mr. Perryman, for advice. Mr. Perryman put on a costume and came out as the wise Dadooska. He told Tyler, "God has chosen you to receive the honor...the honor of being chosen as one of God's warriors. You are God's warrior...which means you can ride forth victoriously in truth, humility and righteousness. Even though you are sick, when people see how strong and brave you are, why it makes them take a look at their own lives. So maybe that's why they make fun of you. But, Tyler, there is a glorious truth, God's truth. And it is your job to point them to Him. If they turn to Him, they find the truth. Wouldn't that be a wonderful victory!" (I recommend you to see the film to get the full story. I love this movie!)

Christ Himself was tested to a degree that we will never know. Because of that, He makes the best foundation. If we place our faith in Him, we will always be secure with our lives built upon that sure foundation. "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." Isaiah 28:16 (KJV) In the New Living Translation, it says he who believes in the cornerstone "will not be disturbed."

That's what I want! I want to not be disturbed while being tested. I want to remember that God is making me stronger through it all. I want my faith and trust in God to grow, knowing that in Him I am always secure!