Wait upon the Lord

Today I read Isaiah 40 and 41 and Colossians 3:8-4:4. My favorite verses are:

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The entire 40th Chapter of Isaiah has long been a favorite of mine; I have found it to be very encouraging when I have been discouraged by circumstances surrounding me. Verse 31 was once explained to me in a way that I thought made perfect sense. When we “wait upon the Lord” we do not sit around doing nothing. The reference is to the work done by a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. As they “wait on” tables, they watch to see when the customer needs something and they take care of that need. They listen to hear the customer if he asks for something, and they respond to the request. They seldom sit down because they “stand ready” to serve the customer. The more they DO, the better waiter or waitress they are thought to be; and, generally, the greater reward they receive. I have been told that “waiting” is very demanding and tiring work when it is done right. That is why those who wait on the Lord need renewed strength. God gives them strength so that they can continue to rise up, walk, and run for Him without getting worn out. And the verse in Colossians gives an added dimension to our service for the Lord—we are to do everything in the name of Jesus with thanksgiving. There are some jobs God asks us to do that it is hard to be thankful for. But He knows best! As we learn to thank God for all that we are allowed to say and do in His service, we grow into the mature Christians that He wants us to be.