Verse of the Day 5/20

Through the Bible - 1 Kings 19-20, Matthew 10:21-42

 

Good morning,

This is another one of those mornings where I had something in mind to send out to you but the course was changed by something that I read.  A friend had e-mailed me the other day and recommended a short booklet on prayer,

"The Hidden Life of Prayer" by David McIntyre, it is available for free download online.

 

There are many verses in the Bible that call, instruct and challenge us to "wait on the Lord".  In the first chapter of "The Hidden Life of Prayer" McIntyre writes:

"A great scholar has given a beautiful definition of waiting upon God: "To wait is

not merely to remain impassive. It is to expect—to look for with patience, and also with

submission. It is to long for, but not impatiently; to look for, but not to fret at the delay; to watch

for, but not restlessly; to feel that if He does not come we will acquiesce, and yet to refuse to let the

mind acquiesce in the feeling that He will not come."

 

For today's verse we'll go to Isaiah 40 for what may be the most familiar and quoted verses on "waiting" on the Lord.

 

Isa 40:30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 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.   ESV

Some of you today may feel weary, exhausted and sapped of strength due to illness or various trials.  May these verses be an encouragement to you today, may they bring hope.  May you wait on the Lord the way McIntyre expresses it, not impassively but to expect with patience yet in submission, not fretting, not restlessly but with hope and confidence that the Lord will renew your strength, to soar like eagles, to walk by faith and not faint.

 

Many songs have been written on these verses, sing one and think about it today.  If you're drawing a blank, here are the words to "Everlasting God" by Chris Tomlin.

 

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Isa 40:27-41:1

 

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
"My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 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.   NKJV