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 KJV
Based on today’s reading, we might conclude that God wants us to just relax, slow down and wait. But if we read on, the verse also calls us to action. It tells us we will, “Run and not be weary!” That got me to checking out in the New Testament about how Jesus repeatedly sprang into action. Here is just one example of the many that I found.
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:3
Jesus showed us that, though He was not in a hurry, it didn’t mean that He never moved quickly. In fact, when Jesus hurried into action, because of His great love. That kind of hurry will motivate us to rush to the side a friend in a car accident, grab our wife’s hand and pray for God to ease her pain after surgery or give without a second thought to a couple whose house has just burned down. Jesus hurried to the cross to give His life for us all. So why not hurry to Him and ask what He has for us to do for someone else today?
Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:6-7
It is often said that we must wait on the Lord, and with good reason. The Bible does teach us that waiting on God is the way He uses to renew our strength. But more often than not, in the stories of scripture, God is waiting on us. In today’s verse we find Jesus resting by a well. Now this seems a pretty normal thing, for the average guy on a hot day after a long walk. But Jesus is not just an average guy, He is the Son of God and He has plans than He often doesn’t explain to us. You see in Jesus’ daily calendar; He had scheduled a meeting with this woman from Samaria. She didn’t know it; the disciples didn’t know it and certainly no one in that unassuming little village would have guessed in their wildest dreams that the Messiah would stop at the outskirts of town that afternoon. Jesus wasn’t looking for anyone to impress Him with a formal welcome or reward Him with a generous honorarium. All He wanted was an honest conversation and a heart that was open to Him. Maybe that is all that Jesus is waiting for in our situation. Maybe we don’t need to wait, maybe we need to take a walk by a well and listen to what He has to say today. He has already finished all that needs to be done when He suffered on the cross and cried “It is finished!” Now He is resting by the well of living water for you and I to come and meet with Him today. Since Jesus is waiting: what are we waiting for?”
Today’s video was recorded at our monthly prayer and praise at Sunshine Christian Village and ends with the song “Fill My Cup Lord” Have a blessed week all!
"They also serve who only stand and wait"John Milton
Listening, is intimately linked to waiting, but waiting is not exactly my favorite activity. Today’s quote about waiting comes from one of my favorite poems. I don’t know about you, but I love to read about waiting far more than to I like to experience it. Milton wrote this poem, Sonnet 19 (On His Blindness) because as his vision failed, so also did his hopes, ambitions and opportunities in life (or so he thought.) Though the poem does have a nice ring to it, what in the world does it mean? What kind of service would it be if our waiter at the restaurant, just waited. I want my food, my refill and my check in a reasonable amount of time. I am not all in on the guy or gal who is simply hanging out, leaning against the wall or hiding in the breakroom! But then I recalled a man in the Bible whose entire life’s ministry was to wait. His name was Simeon.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:25-26 ESV
Imagine an entire lifetime of waiting. Simeon grows up and watches other young men starting their careers, launching out into successful businesses or leading large congregations. His friends may stop by for tea and as they sit and visit, they ask him, “So, Simeon, what are your plans for this year? When are you going to get started on something new?”
But Simeon’s answer was always the same. “I am waiting for God’s Messiah and His consolation for us as His people.”
“But can’t you do something else in the meantime? Isn’t there anything you want to do or places you would like to visit?” But Simeon simply nodded his head and quietly trusted God while he said his prayers at the temple – week after week, month after month and year after year. Decades passed and yet Simeon’s hope did not grow dim and God told him to hang in there, because one day it would come to pass as sure the sun comes up in the morning. Simeon’s life reminds me of the proverb, –Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life. – Proverbs 13:12
Are you waiting like Simeon? Are there dreams and hopes that God has planted in your heart that seem as far away as the other side of the moon? God has not forgotten you. If He has planted His promise in your heart, He knows what He is doing, and He will be faithful to make it grow in His own time. Just as God did for Simeon, the day will come when Jesus places in your arms all that He has promised you and then, just like Simeon, you will have a song and a joy that no one else could give you! And by the way, John Milton wrote his most famous work, “Paradise Lost” after he became completely blind by dictating it to others. John Milton, like Simeon, was standing and waiting, but He wasn’t just standing around!
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