Waiting On The LordSample

Three Progressive Benefits Of Waiting On The Lord

For the past four days you have been reading (Isaiah 40:31 NIV), and today I want to zone in on some truths in this powerful verse. There are many stages in the waiting process, and we started off talking about an expectant mother that once she gets the news of her baby being on the way, she prepares. As time goes by, her body changes, and every few weeks she must go to the doctor for her checkups to ensure that the seed deposited in her is growing healthy and strong, she gets glimpses of her baby on sonogram pictures, and she gets to hear the heartbeat. These signs of life give the mother hope, joy, and strength to keep going. As the baby grows, she also grows, and things are not as easy or comfortable as it was when she started off, sleeping becomes hard, frequent trips to the bathroom day and night, lower back pain, swollen legs and ankles and heartburn, and exhaustion from carrying the extra weight. But in all her discomfort, she loves that baby; she looks forward to the baby being born even though it is causing her discomfort in the present. The waiting time for a pregnant woman may seem long, but waiting until the due date is a great blessing because that full-term baby will be born developed and healthy most times. So too with a seed that contains the promise and the harvest, sometimes, the promise seems to cause us the most pain, and it may seem to take a long time, and we want to give up but giving up will only cause the harvest to be premature or aborted altogether.

I want to share with you three stages in the waiting process hoping you will change your perspective while you wait for your harvest.

1. A Renewed Mind (Inner Strength)

"But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power]" - (Isaiah 14:31a NIV)

When we learn how to wait on the promises of the Lord and as we meditate on him and his character our thoughts will change from the negatives to the goodness and faithfulness of the promise keeper (Jesus). We will be changed from the inside out –

"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]." -  Romans 12:2 (AMPC).

2. You will operate in the Supernatural (Moving up Strength)

"they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]"- (Isaiah 14:31b AMPC)

As you become confident in God to keep his Word, He will endow you with supernatural strength to overcome all obstacles that will arise –

"Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us." - Romans 8:36-37 (AMPC)

3. You can throw of heavyweights in the Natural (Moving on Strength)

"they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired." - (Isaiah 40:31c NIV)

God will infuse you with physical strength when you wait, expect, and look with joy to him to fulfill what He has promised you – 

"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]." -  Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

Today I pray that as you wait on the Lord your will be renewed like the eagle! 

"Patience is like good motor oil. It doesn't remove all the contaminants. It just puts them into suspension, so they don't get into your works and seize them up. Patient people have, so to speak, a large crankcase. They can put a lot of irritants into suspension." - Cornelius Plantinga