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. - Isaiah 40:31
I used to read this verse passively; spend time in God's presence and He'll rejuvenate you. More recently, I realized that in the original Hebrew, waiting is an active thing; it's a choice you make. You prioritize time with God and He will give you strength for the things you need to do. But somehow the most obvious meaning of this passage evaded me until very recently.
Have you ever been waited on? I'm not talking about being waited on at a Steak N Shake or other normal restaurant; sometimes it can take many minutes and excessive hand-waiving to flag down a waiter. Being waited on is a completely different experience. Last year, my in-laws took me to an expensive restaurant when we were visiting them. Not only did the host get to know our names, but he was constantly watching from the other side of the room for any hint that we needed anything. No yelling, no waving; all it took was a finger in the air and we were quickly attended to. I can't help but think that's exactly the way God wants us to interact with Him; waiting for the slightest command from in high.
So why did the simplest and most obvious reading of this verse evade me for so long? The answer is pretty depressing and all too common; I was trying to insert God into my plans instead of trying to find my place in God's plans. I've also realized that I'm scary-good at this; so good I can convince myself that my plans were actually God's in the first place. More on that to come in a later post :).
