Waiting on the Lord, Hoping in the Lord

I will wait on the LORD…and I will hope in Him…strong>Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!…Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. (Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 27:14; and 31:24)

Living by waiting on the Lord offers a helpful perspective on living by grace. Waiting on the Lord is the same spiritual reality as hoping in the Lord. "I will wait on the LORD…and I will hope in Him." Waiting on the Lord is not merely about waiting (that is, allowing time to pass). Rather, it is about humbly placing our hope and expectations in the Lord God as time is passing. This is what living by grace comprises (looking to the Lord to work on our behalf and within our hearts).

Waiting on the Lord (hoping in the Lord) is appropriate for every area of our lives. Furthermore, wondrous consequences result from hoping in our God. "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!…Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD." When we place our hope in the Lord (waiting for Him to work in our lives and circumstances), He brings us spiritual courage and spiritual strength within our inner man.

Those who wait on the Lord have a distinctively different destiny than the wicked, than the evildoers. "For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shallinherit the earth…Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you toinherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it" (Psalm 37:9, 34). Evildoers (the wicked, who have no interest in the way of salvation) end up "cut off." In attempting to develop their personal earthly kingdoms, they lose everything. They think they can take over a portion of this world, which belongs to our Creator God. Instead, they lose it all. They are cut off forever from their achievements, as well as from the God who made them. On the other hand, those who hope in the Lord inherit all of creation, as well as an eternal relationship with their Creator Redeemer.

Truly, "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him" (Lamentations 3:25). Therefore, let us "hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption" (Psalm 130:7). Yes, let us "hope in the LORD from this time forth andforever" (Psalm 131:3).

Isaiah Encouraging All to Wait on the Lord

Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength…And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him…And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we havewaited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." (Isaiah 40:31; 8:17; and25:9)

Isaiah's desire to live by grace was evident in his proclaiming that God's power was for those who admit their own weakness. Now, we see Isaiah's heart for God's grace in hisencouraging all to wait on the Lord.

One of Isaiah's encouragements to wait on the Lord came in conjunction with God's promises to give power to the weak. "He gives power to the weak, and to those who haveno might He increases strength… They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:29, 31). This gracious work of God in people's lives only required their waiting on the Lord. "Those whowait on the LORD shall renew their strength."

Another of Isaiah's encouragements to wait on the Lord occurred at a time when Israel was rebelling against God. "For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people" (Isaiah 8:11). The Lord strongly urged Isaiah to stand against Israel's rebellion, even though they were threatening the prophet. "Do not…be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The LORD of hosts, Himyou shall hallow; Let Him be your fear" (Isaiah 8:12-13). Isaiah's encouraging testimony revealed that his heart was fully set on the Lord. "And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him." God was not revealing Himself to rebellious Israel. On the other hand, Isaiah would "wait on the LORD" (that is, he would"hope in Him").

Isaiah's ultimate encouragement to wait on the Lord is related to God's establishing of His everlasting kingdom. "And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we havewaited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.'" Those who place their hope in the Lord during their pilgrimage on earth will rejoice forever when the Lord implements for eternity the fullness of His salvation for His people!

Isaiah Proclaiming God's Power for the Weak

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might Heincreases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and theyoung men shall utterly fall, 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. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Isaiah is another example of an Old Testament saint who lived by grace (that is, by depending upon God to work in the lives of His people). This dependence upon the Lord can be seen in Isaiah's proclaiming God's power for the weak. "He gives power to theweak…those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength."

God desires to impart His power to the feeble. "He gives power to the weak." Those who are of the world cannot partake of this power, because they do not know the giver of this heavenly power. Sadly, many of God's own children do not receive this divine enabling, because they are unwilling to admit their weakness. Actually, the privileged place for receiving the Lord's empowering is to confess that we have no might at all on our own. "To those who have no might He increases strength."

In the days of youthfulness, mankind is the most convinced of possessing personal might. When one is young, weariness seems to be a distant threat. Yet, the truth is that even youthful energy eventually proves to be inadequate for the demands of life. "Even theyouths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall." Nevertheless, there is enablement available that the most promising days of youth could never supply. It is an empowering that only God can provide.

This God-given power is experienced only by those who will wait upon the Lord. Left to themselves, old and young alike will find human might so frail and inadequate, "but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength." Those who place their hope in Godare strengthened by the Lord Himself. They are enabled by God to live above their circumstances, looking down on life from heaven's perspective. "They shall mount up with wings like eagles." When it is time to press energetically ahead, they can do so without becoming exhausted. "They shall run and not be weary." When it is more appropriate to plod along methodically and persistently, they do not collapse. "They shall walk and not faint." All of this results from the power of God working within those who wait upon Him.