Looking for the New Year
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NRSV) 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those 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.
It is December 30, 2018, and as this year draws to an end we begin to wonder what the new year will bring.
In today’s scripture, the prophet Isaiah was speaking to a people who had been in captivity for around 70 years. Some of those orginally taken from their homeland had died, others were born into captivity, but almost all had given up the hope of ever returning to their homeland.
Yet, God offers hope through His words to Isaiah. He reminds the people Who God is. He is the Everlasting, the Creator of all the earth, and not only does He not grow weary, but He gives strength to those who have reached the point of exhaustion. How do we receive the strength needed for every situation? We wait upon the Lord Who will renew our strength.
Wait. For many of us, waiting is one of the hardest things we can do. We wait for the birth of a new baby, and our anticipation is almost more than we can bear. We wait to hear whether our jobs will remain secure, we wait to hear what the doctor says about our test, and now we are waiting to see what the new year brings.
May I share with you that waiting upon God is the best way to approach whatever lies ahead? Many of us have the wrong idea about waiting. We see waiting as sitting passively until something happens. Not so! When we wait upon God there is a hope, an expectation, because God’s promises will always be fulfilled!
Let us purpose in our hearts today that as the new year begins, we will look forward to God renewing our strength, and we will walk in His might, His power, and His grace. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Father God, today is a day of expectation. May we live in Your Word and by Your Word as we say goodbye to 2018 and welcome 2019 with hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 