Waiting for the Lord
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint, or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, 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.
~ Isaiah 40:28-31
God promises us strength for the day. God promises us that we can soar like the eagles; run with the best of the long-distance runners, and walk many miles each day. These are powerful images and sometimes we do manage to run and soar as we try to serve our God. Other times though we are faced with mountains that appear to be unreachable or stumbling blocks that make walking let alone running, impossible.
And God will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of God’s hand.
~ Michael Joncas
The key in this text is the act of “waiting for the Lord.” It is then that the strength, courage, and steadfastness come. This kind of waiting is not about sitting around nor is it a once in a lifetime event. Instead it is always an active time of preparation, of cultivating our souls, and of growing in the joy and hope of our faith. The concentration we give to the waiting will help us be ready for the risky, difficult, and all-consuming task of being a disciple of Jesus.
The nice thing about waiting is that it is good for the soul. “We love to expect,” Samuel Johnson wrote, “and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.” Expectation is the great spiritual snare of life. It tells us always that there is more to life than we now know. It leads directly to God. The capacity to wait is the ability to endure, to grow, to enjoy and to hope.
~ Joan Chittister
Our cares we bring unto you
you told us that we could.
For you help those who try to help themselves
and I believe we should.
Lord, don’t move this mountain,
bit give me strength to climb it.
Please don’t move that stumbling block,
but lead me, Lord, around it.
~ Doris Akers
The Lord treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love.
~ Psalm 147:11
These reflections are for use during the week of February 7-13, 2021 and based on the lectionary for February 7.
Joyce D. Sohl
Joyce D. Sohl has been Laywoman-in-Residence since 2009 as a full-time volunteer. She retired as CEO of United Methodist Women in 2004. She is the author of 4 books, a teacher, retreat leader, writer and non-professional musician. Here at the Center her work is in the area of Spirituality & the Arts with such programs as Tuesdays in the Chapel, Vespers & All That Jazz, Poet’s Corner, quarterly retreats, and art exhibits.