Isaiah 40:31
They that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength
For the longest time I misunderstood the meaning of WAIT as it appears in the verse above. I thought it meant to “sit patiently and do nothing in anticipation of something that is about to happen.” But, a deeper meaning to the word WAIT came to me as I was sitting in a restaurant one day and my glass of tea was almost empty. I was just about to look for the server to request a refill of my glass of tea when, from out of nowhere, the server appeared with a pitcher of tea, picked my glass up off the table and refilled it to the brim. The words “I need more tea” never had to cross my lips because someone was WAITING on me. That’s why they’re called WAITERS and WAITRESSES. They anticipate the needs of the people they are attending and serve them when the smallest need arises. Suddenly, the words “WAIT upon the Lord” gained a fresh new meaning for me.
Now I understand that the word WAIT is not passive… it is active. I am one who WAITS UPON THE LORD. I am the Lord’s “server” (servant). I am to be attentive to the needs of His kingdom, and to anticipate what my next actions should be to be pleasing to the One I am serving. And, just like a person who has been served with excellence by a proficient WAITER will reward that WAITER with a healthy tip, even so, the Lord rewards those who WAIT UPON HIM with a much needed benefit… RENEWED STRENGTH.
My Confession for Today:
I’m WAITING on the Lord. I’m attentive to the needs of His kingdom and His people. When I see a need I respond quickly because I’m paying attention… just like a good WAITER!
Psalm 27:14 (NAS)
Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.
