Tomorrow we head to Dell’s Children Hospital for our Davy girl to have a “G-button” surgery. If you are late to the party, you can read the previous blog about the procedure here.

I’m excited for what the surgery is going to offer for Day girl’s future and standard of living. No more tube running down the back of her throat, no more 2am wakeup calls where we have to put the NG tube back in because Davy pulled it out during her sleep, and no more throwing the tube up through her mouth once a week. I’m excited for all of that and the peripheral blessings that come with it.

However, I’m not going to lie to you – I’m worn out – physically, emotionally and spiritually. I’m tired of hospitals, surgeries and afflictions. This year and a half has produced more days of tears than laughter, and more days of mourning than dancing. Solomon was right, there is a time for everything (Eccl. 3). Nevertheless, I’m eager for a different season and time.

Waiting on the Lord 

In seasons where we are worn out, the enemy – the Devil – loves to speak lies to us. He didn’t get the name “father of lies” for no reason (John 8:44). He loves to speak lies that you’ll never get out of affliction, that God isn’t good, and anything that might have you doubting the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. He also loves to tempt you to find rest, strength and rejuvenation in other outlets outside of the Lord just as he did our Savior (Mark 1:13).

We are deceived thinking that we will be restored by releasing stress through pornography, Netflix binges, unhealthy relationships, etc. I wrote about this recently here. Yet, the Lord offers a different way for us to restore our strength.

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
    but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31

God’s thinking seems counterintuitive doesn’t it? He tells us to wait.

Wait on the Lord and he will give strength to the weary. Wait on the Lord and he will increase the power of the weak. Wait on the Lord and he will renew your strength.

The concept of waiting in our “insta-gratification” culture is extremely challenging. This waiting God calls us to is opposed to what the world is offering us – instant release from our stress, immediate strength through worldly pleasure. We begin to ask the question, “Who has time to wait on God?”

We soon realize though, that if we run to the things that produce instant gratification we are often left with longterm emptiness. The momentary strength or stress relief is a mirage. It leads us to an even deeper hole of emptiness, stress, and weariness. It was not the oasis it promised to be, but a desert wasteland.

The question is not, “Who has time to wait on God?” The question is, “What else do we have besides Him?” (Ps. 73:25-26).

How Do We Wait on the Lord? 

To wait on the Lord means to fight to be content with the season of life he has you in through His strength (Phil. 4:11-13), to find joy in the midst of His presence instead of your circumstances (Ps. 16:11), and to trust His wisdom (Rom. 11:33).

We can be absolutely certain that whatever season of life we are in, we are there with divine purpose. God is writing our story – even the chapters of affliction, trial and challenges – for our good, our growth and his glory.

The writer of Lamentations shows us the way to wait on the Lord – “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.” (Lam. 3:25).

To wait we must seek.

To seek him we must get back to the basics. We seek him through:

• Studying the Word (Ps. 19)
• Meditating on the Word (Ps. 1)
• Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13)
• Gathering together with the church to worship through singing (Eph. 5:19)
• Fasting (Isa. 58)
• Gathering with community regularly (Heb. 10:25)
• Repentance and confession (James 5:16)
• Serving the least of these (Isa. 58)

When we wait for God by seeking him we are reminding ourselves that, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Is. 40:28).

So, while we grow weary and lose strength, we worship a God who doesn’t. Therefore, wait on the Lord, seek His presence and you will soar on wings like eagles.