Hurry Up And Wait

The LORD our God does not think like humans think.  As people, we look around us and we notice those who are nice looking.  We pay attention to those who are muscular, well-built, and physically fit for activity.  It is easy for us to appreciate people who are talented athletes.  If the most athletic players are on our favored team, then all the better for us!

But in Isaiah 40, we are reminded that even these people are only human.  Even the most healthy looking, muscular, well-built men and women have to rest.  They cannot continue to perform at 100% all of the time.  They too will eventually wear down.  Their bodies require food, refreshment, and rest.  But not God.  Here's how Isaiah states it, "Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.  Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those 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"  (40:28-31).

The same is true in our spiritual life.  As children of God, we are sent out to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to a broken world.  We are to continually be witnessing, teaching, and loving a world that does not know God.  But like athletes, we too must rest.  We cannot do the tasks at hand without the strength of the LORD.

As a human, Jesus too got tired.  He too got weary.  He too had to take time away from the constant pressures of ministry.  He found his rest in his Father.  He found his strength through prayer.  He was renewed  for his calling through his relationship with God the Father.

The longer I am a pastor, the more I realize how important my own spiritual growth is for the sake of the community I serve.  If my cup dries up, then I have nothing to share.  If my body becomes weak, then I am unable to help those who are in need.  If my mind is unfocused, then my teaching becomes slack.  So the words of Isaiah have rung true in my own life.  I am still learning to wait on the LORD so that he shall renew my strength.  I am still learning to rely more and more on his power so that I may not faint.  I am learning to lean on his strength so that I am empowered through his Holy Spirit.

Here is a song that I first heard a few years ago.  Periodically, I will play this song when I feel discouraged and tired in ministry.  The lyrics of the song always remind me not to rely on my own strength but to lean on God and his great power.  My greatest desire is to serve God and to set the world on fire.  But none of us can do that alone.  May this song bless you and strengthen your spirit as you continue in your own ministry to the least of these.  Until next time...





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