Those who hope (wait) in the Lord will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Waiting confidently in the Lord provides extra energy, perspective and strength for the long haul.
The other day I was frustrated at my circumstances and did something that I normally do not do – I started to complain about the wait. What happened next drives home the fact that waiting rooms are excellent places to grow in your hope. I quickly lost all energy and joy. I felt out of control. I felt sad and helpless.
Have you ever been in a waiting room with the feeling that what you wait for is never going to happen?
In my own life, I have experienced this many times: waiting to get married, waiting to get pregnant, waiting to adopt a baby, waiting to move, waiting to be picked for a promotion, waiting for opportunities to speak, waiting for God to heal my husband, waiting for waves of grief to no longer wash over me after my husband’s death.
One of the reasons that I love this verse so much is because the key lies in this Hebrew word for wait – qâvâh. – which means to hope expectantly for a positive result. As I look back on all the memories of all the times when I was waiting so poorly, I realize that I felt helpless and unable to change the outcome. I felt defeated before I even started and was afraid to “get my hopes up because I would probably just be disappointed.” In this context, the waiting was no fun.
Let’s transform waiting rooms into eagle’s nets. You can look down on your problems and maintain a sense of expectancy even when it seems like nothing will ever change. Feathers take a long time to grow, yet at the right time you will feel a surge of strength to rise above your circumstances. The wind of change is in the process of coming so HOPE WINS by giving you a different perspective that allows you to enjoy your current situation knowing that God has a good plan. Life can seem like a marathon where you grow weary. Instead, view it as an opportunity of building your stamina in new ways, exercising new hope muscles and extending faith ligaments.
You’re going to make it! You will rise above your current situation. In fact, your current difficulties will become your platform for the great miracles and mighty works the Lord will do in and through you.
Hope Wins!
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for my waiting room(s). I am eternally grateful that You are at work in the midst of what may seem like a dead end. As I enjoy you presence during the wait, my feathers can grow, my strength is renewed and I am prepared for the heights You know I will achieve. I commit to listening to your instruction and will enjoy your presence in the midst of this season. I am thankful that I do not have to worry about making it on my own no matter which mode of transportation I choose – flying, running or walking. In it all, the reassurance of your renewal as I place my hope in You makes all the difference in my outlook for the future. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.
