They that wait on the Lord
Isaiah 40:28-31
Introduction-
Turn to Isaiah 40
This has been one of those weeks where I found myself asking God… how do I get done what I need too because it was a week that was so demanding.
I said to the Lord during the week, Sunday is coming and I don’t have a message yet Lord. He has never let me down but has taken me to the wire several times but I don’t like spending Saturday finalizing my sermon for Sunday.
In a perfect world, the sermon is done by Friday, and I look over it on Saturday some time before digesting it again early Sunday Morning before most get here to church.
What changed my week?
Encouraging note from the new district superintendent.
Lunch with a good friend and I found myself looking at Sunday from a different place.
Lord Sunday is coming! Desperation
To…Sunday is coming! Relief
Which one do you think ministered to me?
Answer-The one from relief. Realizing- that the Lord has to be my strength.
Isaiah 40 begins with the writer of Isaiah comforting the people of God and brings them back to their remembrance of the promises of God
(V1)- “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
People mad at God
People waiting for God to do something in their situation.
People waiting for healing, confirmation, restoration, encouragement… for God to turn a dark cloud inside out and let the light of Jesus Christ shined bright.
Anyone here this morning waiting on God?
Scripture- Isaiah 40:28-31 read from NIV Bible
Prayer-
Father, this morning, would you do something amazing? Would you be what we need you to be today? Would you encourage, strengthen and speak to us this morning? We will come to you with a heart open and ready to receive what you have for us. We will receive with gladness your anointed presence in a time that we feel so utterly dry and needing the power of the Holy Spirit of God working in our life and abundantly empowering us to live the life that you have called us to live.
In Jesus Name! Amen.
Isaiah 40:31 King James Version (KJV)
31 “ But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
That is the way I memorized this verse.
This to me is a soldier that gets his strength from on hi and does things outside of his own realm of talents, power and wisdom.
Let’s go back to the encouraging note-
We are in spiritual battles and we are just trying to live life and at times, they both are overwhelming us and we just need a shot of adrenalin to help us through. Sometimes, it is the Lord Himself who does it and sometimes, by choice He will use other people that come into our path. Hence why the encouraging note was important
We know that in every situation- there is a time to wait and there is a time of moving forward.
The wisdom needed is what to do and when to do it.
It is at those times that we need the wisdom of God to help and the friendship of others to help us stay on track.
Back up a minute and stay with me- Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah chapter 6 saw the Lord for who He is!
Isaiah 6:1-6:5
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with 6 wings; with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and threshold shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Woe to me! I cried, I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the king, the Lord Almighty.”
In our times of trouble… We need God to manifest Himself and give us the needed wisdom, strength, encouragement, provision.
We need to stop running away and run toward Him. It is when we run toward him that we see God for who He is- God Almighty! The one who should be praised and lifted up and when we praise and lift up the name of Jesus and move toward Him- He manifest his power, his anointing, His wisdom and He begins to work on our behalf and we know that we know what we should be doing. Waiting on God or moving forward in His strength and power.
The prophet reminds the people of God
Our God does not fail
The Lord will come and take care of His people
Our God is the creator of the Universe.
There is no one like our God
Our God has no threat that keeps Him up at night.
That should make you want to get your praise on this morning!
He has never stopped watching over His people-
Song- Our God is an Awesome God!
Our God is an awesome God… He reigns from heaven above …with wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God!
Song- Everlasting God
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
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
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles.
There are some lessons we can learn about our God and how our God wants to minister to His people.(you and I)
We see the illustration of an eagle majestically flying and not growing tired and that even the younger grow weary and need the strength of the Lord.
He is the Everlasting God
HE is not a God we have created to be what we want Him to be…He is the God that created us and knows what we need and has provided all that is needed for us to live a powerful and meaningful life with His guidance and help.
From Genesis to Revelation in the Bible, He is an Everlasting God.
David- “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Psalm 106:48
Only the Lord is everlasting to everlasting.
Paul- “Now to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” 1 Timothy 1:17
John- “And I saw another angel flying through the heavens, carrying the everlasting Good News to preach to the people who belong to this world-to every tribe, language and people.”
Only an everlasting God can bring everlasting Good News!
There is but one God, one Everlasting God. From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. No one else can lay claim to His property -- eternity. The gods of the heathen cannot lay claim to it. But for those who choose to follow Jesus, a glorious eternity awaits. “And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).
His ways are higher than our ways
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
What Kind of God Would He Be?
What kind of God would God be if we could wrap our minds around Him and His ways?
What kind of God would He be if we could predict where He would go and how He would get there?
What kind of God would He be if He worked out of the same small and limited view of the world and history that we do?
He would be small. He would be like us.
We could not depend on Him to meet our needs and be our strength. He could be called into question and it would be right to doubt Him.
But He is none of those things.
God does not need a Nazarene nap to get through the day.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
God chooses to use us- why? Because He wants too.
God can do anything He wants when He wants because He is God and we are not!
The only thing that He will not do is go against His Word- Even that is by His choice!
So no one can stand before Him and boast or think that they are better than they should. God works by His own rules! He does not have to explain Himself but I am glad at times He does.
Those who hope in the Lord are strengthened
When we begin to see God for who He is- We put our hope in Him and not in our own abilities and talents.
“But those who wait upon the Lord”-
Expect, look hope in the Lord will be strengthened in the Lord.
They will rise up and soar like an eagle.
I am so glad Thomas Jefferson didn’t win that a Turkey is our National bird.
Too many people living like turkeys- I want to soar like an eagle. Amen!
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”
“Anyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Will not be disgraced!
Will not be disappointed!
Will not be ashamed
We will rise above our circumstances
“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
True success rarely happens overnight.
I’ve seen eagle’s nest with the babies in it –
Not quite ready to take flight and dependent on their parents for their basic needs.
I’ve seen the babies that have recently left the nest and don’t yet have the beautiful white head and tail — they really don’t stand out much from any other bird of prey.
We see business owner whose business seems to run itself.
We see an athlete who breaks records running a marathon and doesn’t seem to break a sweat.
We see people whose marriages look like there still on their honeymoon.
We compare ourselves to them and think that they must have some special gift we don’t.
What we often don’t see in these cases is what these people had to buy the price and work hard to accomplish what we are seeing now.
Joke-
I remember when I began running and I could now run 60 seconds without being tired. Now I can! Just wanted to see if you were listening!
The reason that so many people don’t stick to a new venture is that they lack that determination and focus that the eagle has when he first takes off. They assume it was going to be easy!
It takes a lot of thrust to get that big bird in the air and a lot of obstacles to overcome- We just see them soaring and assume it was easy.
They rise above their circumstances.
They go through the tough so they can enjoy the easy.
Close,
Remember these things as you go through some tough times-
He is the Everlasting God-
His ways are higher than your ways-
Our hope has to be in the Lord
Rise above your circumstances.
