In almost any Christian bookstore, one doesn’t have to look
very hard to find these words from the prophet Isaiah:
“Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”
I’ve seen these words imprinted on
everything from a bookmark to a bronze statue of an eagle. The
language of this passage is clearly figurative, but it is no less
encouraging. These words are
powerful. We live in a world that is wrought
with injustice, befuddled by confusion, and besieged with weariness. The hopeful words from the prophet Isaiah
communicate to the children of God that these maladies will ultimately be
overcome by those who wait upon the Lord, who is just, understanding, and
strong.
If we are not careful, we can misunderstand
and misapply the meaning of this passage. This passage is not axiomatic. This passage is not something to read off of a
motivational poster for a pick-up on a day when we haven’t gotten enough
sleep. It’s not a passage to pray over
when it’s 4th and goal with 3 seconds left in the game and
our running back is playing on an injured leg. This passage is not a proverb.
This passage is a prophecy.
When Dr. Don Hataway, Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville, preaches from the book of Proverbs, he often prefaces the reading of a saying from that book with the following sentence, “It’s a proverb, not a promise.” In other words, the sayings from the book of Proverbs aren’t necessarily guarantees. They are sayings from Wisdom literature…truisms.
Isaiah is not a book of truisms. Isaiah is a book of prophecy. Isaiah didn’t give us proverbs, he gave us promises. Some of them, like the coming of the Lord Jesus, have already come to pass. Others are yet to come. Those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength and never grow weary. This is a prophecy and a promise from God. It will happen in the eschaton and we can look forward to and rejoice in that day.
Lord, give us the patience to wait upon you
Thank you for the savior you have given us in Christ
Thank you for the life you will give us in the resurrection.
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