Getting Ahead of God

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Scripture

Isaiah 40:31     but those 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.

Observation

Probably the most important word in this scripture is “wait.” It is in the waiting that we learn to rest and trust in God. He will do what he will do in his timing.

The idea of renewing comes from the concept of changing or exchanging. It’s like taking off your clothing and putting on something completely new. We will take off our own strength and literally put on God’s strength. This is what happens when we wait on him. The result is then expressed in three different ways that reveal the the supernatural power of God. Waiting on God results in his supernatural intervention in our lives.

Application

I find myself wanting to get ahead of God. I want to tell him how to make things happen — and when. The problem is that when we get ahead of God we make mistakes. Abraham and Sarah didn’t wait for God’s solution to the problem of having children. Instead they chose to “help” God out. That didn’t work out so well! And yet, we tend to do the same thing. We want to “help” God work out the details of our lives and yet we are told to “wait.”

I’m afraid I’m not the most patient person in the world and yet God is teaching me not to get ahead of him. I love the idea that when we wait on him he gives us a fresh set of clothing — of “strength” because it’s his strength — and not ours. For this I am grateful. I don’t have to do all of this on my own.

Wait on the Lord today and rest in his full strength. He has more than we will ever need and when we rest in him, the results are more than we could have ever imagined.

Prayer

Lord, may I wait upon you today.  Amen.

Thank you to Nazarene Publishing House and Keri Mitchell for helping to create and publish Reflecting the Image. This is not a devotional book, but rather a collection of thoughts and stories which lead us in the direction of reflecting Christ. Click on the image to take you to the NPH bookstore.The book is also available in Kindle format on Amazon.com.




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