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 to him who has no might He increases strength… but they 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).
Life wears us down. Even the strongest among us grow weary, and even the most faithful may feel faint at times. But Isaiah reminds us of two unshakable truths: our God never grows tired, and His understanding never fails.
The promise is clear: those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. Waiting is not weakness—it is faith in action. It’s not idly doing nothing, but actively trusting—like a servant watching the master’s hand, ready to respond at the slightest signal (Psalm 123:2).
Think of an eagle. It doesn’t frantically flap its wings to soar; it waits for the wind, and then it rises high with little effort. So it is with us—when we wait on the LORD, His Spirit lifts us beyond our weariness if we will wait upon the LORD.
Sometimes the hardest thing is waiting: for healing, for provision, for direction. Saul failed because he wouldn’t wait for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:13–14). The disciples on the road to Emmaus lost hope because they couldn’t yet see God’s timing (Luke 24:21). But Scripture assures us—waiting is never wasted time. It is God’s workshop, where He renews our strength, aligns our hearts with His will, and prepares us for His perfect timing.
What does it really mean to wait on the LORD? Too often, we confuse waiting with inactivity or passivity. But in the biblical sense, waiting is active trust. It’s holding on to God’s promises with expectation, even when circumstances tempt us to give up.
Waiting requires humility. It forces us to admit that we are not in control—that the timing of our lives belongs to the One whose understanding is unsearchable. For many of us, this is the greatest struggle. We want God to move when we ask, in the way we envision, according to our schedule. Yet waiting reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours, and His timing is always perfect.
Waiting also develops perseverance. When Isaiah says, “They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,” he is not promising a life free from difficulty, but a life sustained by God’s strength in the midst of it. The road may be long and tiring, but those who wait on the LORD find a strength that human effort cannot produce.
Consider how many biblical figures had to wait: Abraham waited decades for the promise of a son. Joseph waited years in prison before seeing God’s plan fulfilled. David waited to become king, though he had already been anointed. And the disciples waited in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. In every case, waiting was not wasted—it was preparation.
The danger of not waiting is seen in Saul’s impatience. Rather than trust God’s timing, he took matters into his own hands and lost the kingdom (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Impatience can rob us of God’s best. But those who wait discover renewed strength, revived hope, and deeper intimacy with God.
So where do you find yourself today? Are you weary in prayer because the answer hasn’t come? Are you tempted to give up on a promise God made long ago? Or are you so burdened by life’s weight that you feel ready to collapse? Remember this: waiting is not wasted. In the waiting, God is shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for what is ahead.
Heavenly Father, teach me to wait upon You. Give me understanding that I might know Your ways. Guide my steps that I might follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.