Our scripture today is Isaiah 40:31 from the New Revised Standard Version. “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.”

I am not good at waiting. I’ve improved as I’ve gotten older, but I’m still pretty impatient. Waiting has always seemed passive to me, and I want to be doing something … anything … other than waiting.

While studying this scripture, I learned that the Hebrew verb translated as “wait” in this passage is qavah (kah-vah). It’s related to qav (kahv), which means cord or rope. One source I consulted suggested imagining a rope being pulled tight and stretched out. Qavah is the feeling of anticipation at the release of tension.

Qavah is sometimes translated as “hope.” We don’t wait for the best solution or for our circumstances to change. We are to wait for the Lord. The tension of our current circumstances can only be relieved by the Lord.

Being bad at waiting, I can certainly relate to that tension. But I can also recognize that, even in that tension … or maybe especially in that tension … I am waiting on the Lord. Like the Israelites, I remember how the Lord has been with me in the past and how He can be trusted with my future. My hope is in the Lord while I wait and in every circumstance.

During this Advent, let’s remember to wait on the Lord who came to us as a lowly infant.

Lord, help us to enjoy this season of hope and of waiting. May we remember your faithfulness and continue to wait for you to renew our strength. We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus, who entered our world so many years ago. Amen.

This devotional was written by Kathryn King and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.