By Dr. Robert C Crowder
Reading:
Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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.
Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.
Reflection:
Advent teaches us to wait, and waiting is one of the hardest disciplines of the Christian life. We live in a culture of immediacy: instant answers, overnight delivery, microwave meals. But God does not operate on our timetable. The Israelites in exile waited seventy years for restoration. Abraham waited twenty-five years for the promised son. The prophets foretold the Messiah’s coming, and faithful Jews waited centuries for His arrival. Waiting is not wasted time; it is formative time. Isaiah promised that those who wait upon the LORD shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint. Centuries later, the writer of Hebrews echoed this truth: “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus… lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.” The principle is the same. Waiting on the Lord is not passive resignation; it is active, expectant trust that fixes its eyes on Jesus and draws supernatural strength from His presence. Isaiah saw the promise; Hebrews shows us the Person who fulfills it.
Isaiah begins with a rhetorical question to those tempted to doubt: “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard?” The answer points to the character of God Himself. He is “the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” He is Elohim and Yahweh; the covenant-keeping God who reigns as Creator over all yet remains intimately involved with His people. He does not grow weary like men. He does not faint under the weight of circumstances. His understanding is unsearchable; there are depths to His wisdom that we will explore for all eternity and never exhaust.
The prophet then reveals God’s provision for those who are weak: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Human strength is limited and temporary. Even youths in the prime of life grow weary and stumble. The strongest among us will eventually fall. But here is the promise: “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.”
The Hebrew word for “wait” is qavah, which means more than passive resignation. It carries the idea of expectant hope, active trust, and confident dependence. To wait upon the Lord is to bind yourself to Him like a cord twisted together, to look eagerly for His deliverance while resting in His timing. This type of waiting is not idle: it is anchored in faith, nourished by His Word, and expressed through prayer and obedience.
The result is threefold: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Notice the order: mount, run, walk. There are seasons of soaring, when God lifts us above our circumstances and we see His purposes from a higher vantage. There are seasons of running, when ministry and service flow with energy and joy. But everyday life is the daily walk; one foot in front of the other, faithful in the small things, pressing on when no one is watching. God’s strength sustains us in all three.
Waiting builds faith because it forces us to confront our own insufficiency and depend entirely on God. It teaches us that His power is perfected in our weakness.[1] It reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator, and that His timing is always perfect even when it feels painfully slow.
As you wait this Advent season; for prayers to be answered, for circumstances to change, for Christ to return, rest in this: the God who never grows weary will renew your strength. He will carry you through the waiting and bring you out stronger on the other side.
Prayer:
- Ask the Lord to help you wait well, teaching you to rest in His timing and trust in His strength.
- When you feel weary, pray for renewed strength as you wait upon Him with expectant faith.
Consider:
Fast from one form of entertainment or social media today. Use that time to memorize and meditate on Isaiah 40:31, praying through each phrase and asking God to deepen your ability to wait on Him with expectant faith.
[1] 2 Corinthians 12:9
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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