"Wait For It"

"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

Are you weary and exhausted? Many of you turkey lovers will feel that way later today after you get that tryptophan in you. But I'm not talking about being sleepy; I'm talking about a thorough exhaustion that influences every part of your life. While today is about giving thanks for the many blessings we have, and we are about to enter a season of joy and celebration, the reality is that it can bring a weariness for anyone who has faced hardships and is having a hard time pushing through them. This Scripture reminds us that everyone gets weary and falls, but the only way to be renewed is to wait for the Lord. I chose the ESV translation for these verses because instead of waiting "in" or "on" the Lord, we are told to wait FOR Him. The truth is that He has already promised us what is going to happen and why we should hope, He just hasn't told us when. The Old Testament Israelites were given the prophecy about Jesus' birth, but had to wait a long time for it to be fulfilled. Likewise, we have been given prophecy about His return, but the Lord is patient, knowing His return means some are doomed to separation from Him. So, we are to learn to live in the waiting, trusting God to not only fulfill His "someday" promises, but also His "right now" promise to renew and strengthen us. This week at Friendship, we kick off our new sermon series focused on what the first "Advent of the King" teaches us about the one that is to come. We'll talk specifically about our responsibility to "Wait for It", to live faithfully and with hope despite our circumstances. If you're already feeling a sense of exhaustion - mentally, spiritually, or emotionally - then you do not want to miss this message!