Devotional: Monday, June 22 — Isaiah 40:28–31 (ESV)
Theme: Renewed Strength; Waiting not Wasted
"But they 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."
— Isaiah 40:31
Waiting is rarely our first choice.
We want answers, direction, and resolution. We want movement. We want clarity. We want God to act according to our timetable.
Yet Isaiah offers a different perspective.
The people hearing these words were exhausted. They had experienced loss, uncertainty, and disappointment. They wondered if God saw their struggles or cared about their circumstances. Earlier in the chapter, Isaiah voices their complaint:
"My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God." (Isaiah 40:27)
In other words, they felt forgotten.
God's response is not to explain every detail of His plan. Instead, He reminds them who He is.
"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary." (Isaiah 40:28)
The foundation of our hope is not our ability to endure. It is God's ability to sustain.
Often when we hear the word "wait," we imagine doing nothing. But biblical waiting is not passive. It is an active posture of trust. It is choosing to remain faithful when the outcome is unclear. It is continuing to worship, pray, serve, and obey even when God seems quiet.
Waiting does not mean God is absent.
Waiting does not mean God is inactive.
Waiting often means God is doing work beneath the surface that we cannot yet see.
The promise of Isaiah 40 is not that those who wait will immediately receive answers. The promise is that those who wait upon the Lord will receive renewed strength. Notice the progression Isaiah describes:
They will soar.
They will run.
They will walk.
Many of us love the soaring seasons of faith—those moments when God feels especially near and everything seems possible. We admire the running seasons when progress is visible and momentum is strong.
But Isaiah ends with walking.
Most discipleship happens in the ordinary, faithful walk of following Christ day after day. And that is where God's promise meets us.
The same God who strengthens us for extraordinary moments also sustains us through ordinary days.
As we begin this week, perhaps the question is not whether God is working.
Perhaps the question is whether we are willing to trust Him while He works.
Reflection Questions
- What area of your life feels like a season of waiting right now?
- How might God be inviting you to trust Him more deeply during that season?
- What would it look like to remain faithful while you wait?
Prayer
Everlasting God, when we grow weary, remind us that you never do. When we become impatient, teach us to trust your timing. Renew our strength as we wait upon you, and help us remain faithful in worship, service, and prayer. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Sources
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001).
Peterson, E. H. (2002). A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society. InterVarsity Press.
Reformed Church in America. (n.d.). Beliefs. Retrieved from https://www.rca.org/about/beliefs/
