Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 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 40.30,31)
Being able to deal with the struggles of being exiled from home is a matter of grace. God must act. He must give us what we need to continue. And he does. But there is something that we are to do. Having received his gifts of power and strength, we are to wait for him. Don't be fooled by how that sounds to our ears. This is not a passive waiting. It is a waiting that can wait because it knows that our God will act. He will act at the right time, according to what Isaiah calls his 'unsearchable' understanding. It is a waiting that can patiently wait because he has given us the strength we need to wait. This waiting is an active waiting because it is an expression of believing him. He has promised that our exile will end. Jesus will return. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. And we will enjoy home with renewed bodies - just as he promised. We are not forgotten. He is completely aware of our struggles. But it isn't time yet for the exile to be over. So, we choose to wait - because we believe him when he promises. We believe him because he gives us the strength to be able to believe him. And because of that we wait in hope. As we do that we know that our waiting in this way actually hastens the arrival of that promised day. Our waiting is not for nothing. One day it will happen and all of the troubles of now will be over.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Even so, come Lord Jesus!