I know that there are a lot of you out there waiting to find out about college or high school applications. I'm glad that part of my life is over, because I hated waiting for stuff like that.
In honor of you, I'm posting a devotion I wrote for Fourth Church's daily devotions a little while ago. Maybe it will lift you up a little.
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31
Reflection
Though I’m usually very patient with many things, I sometimes have a low tolerance for waiting. I can sympathize with our high school seniors who are waiting to hear about their college applications—I couldn’t stand those weeks and months of uncertainty. My previous job involved long and boring commutes and it was all I could do to not go crazy as I waited in an endless and slow moving line of cars. And just ask my wife how I get when I wait for her—not my most shining moments as a husband.
But in this familiar passage from Isaiah 40, waiting is exactly what we’re counseled to do. In this chapter the prophet speaks words of hope and comfort to a people experiencing exile and doubt. In these concluding verses, the prophet’s audience is reminded that the God they serve is without equal and that their patience and trust will ultimately be rewarded because God is both powerful and faithful.
In our world of instant gratification, this message is difficult to hear. We are conditioned to want results and expect them quickly. The prophet’s advice to wait for the Lord feels impossible to bear when a loved one is ill, a marriage is falling apart, a job is lost, or we simply don’t know what the future will bring. But when we live by faith, the beautiful words of this poetic passage can become our own.
Prayer
Faithful God, when I am faint and weary, may I be renewed by the power of your love and have the patience to wait for your blessings. Amen.
Written by
John W. Vest, Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry
jvest@fourthchurch.org
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