Years ago, Isaiah 40:31 was given to me as an encouragement in a time that I was uncertain about the future in my son’s life. Born with cerebral palsy, we did not know what to expect. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

The one who gave me this scripture meant for it to give me hope. The implication is that when you know your hope is found in the Lord, you wait on Him. Hope is expressed in waiting.

The word, “waiting,” is an interesting word. In Hebrew the word originates from the description of, “twisting of strands to make a rope.” Now, how does twisting strands into a rope describe hope?

Imagine, you need a rope but don’t have one. All you have are balls of string. Instead of mourning over a lack of rope, patiently sit down with the balls of string and begin winding them together. The exercise will be slow and will require patience. But, you will ultimately have your answer if you just keep winding the strings.

The point is that hope makes us order our activities around a future event. The pregnant couple paints the nursery with hope they will soon have a baby. A graduate sends out invitations with the hope he/she will soon graduate.

In 1980, I attended Cedar Grove Church on the island of Antigua. The small church was packed with a few present. However, there was one place where no one sat. When asked why we didn’t place chairs in the space, I was told they were waiting on God to give them a piano. They could not afford to buy one. They were praying for God to give them a piano. To show their hope that God would bless, they were doing two things:

1) they reserved the spot for the piano and 2) they were giving the pastor’s wife piano lessons.

In 1993, I returned to Cedar Grove Church. When I entered the church a piano was in place. It had been donated by Christians in another land and had been delivered on a banana boat from Honduras. They had waited on the Lord and they saw their hopes become reality.

Why not place your hope in God? He is the one that will renew your strength so you can see a bright future with God as the supplier. 

Bro. John A. Temple is pastor of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church, 4032 Poplar Springs Drive, Meridian. Visit the church website at www.psdbc.org.