Waiting on the Lord

But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak. —Isaiah 40:31, NLV

I enjoyed a very cosmopolitan childhood that included great religious diversity. Born, christened, and confirmed as an Anglican, I lived in a small village where most of us were related, and I attended all four churches in the village.

On Saturdays, we children accompanied our great aunt Maggie to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our visits were motivated more by curiosity than religious fervor, and when we realized that a treat was given at the end of the service, we became more interested in the bun tarts from Jardine’s Bakery than the actual service.

Now, over sixty years later, I still remember those delicious treats that left our fingers and tongues red. On Sunday, we attended the Anglican Church.

After that service, we joined our friends and relatives at the Pilgrim Holiness Church.

When the Moravian Church had its special programs, we participated by reciting poems and singing in groups. During the summer vacation, we attended the Vacation Bible School at Pilgrim Holiness. From my religious exposures, I learned a variety of choruses and songs, some of which I still sing today. One of those songs was taken from Isaiah 40:31.

So what does it mean to “wait upon the Lord”? It means to surrender our lives to God and let Him direct our paths. It means to entrust our cares, concerns, and worries to the Lord and allow Him to resolve them for us. While working in the garden one summer, I unlocked the side gate to trim some invasive shrubs. After a few trips with the wheelbarrow to dump the trimmed branches, I realized my key ring was no longer in my hands.

It was not in my pant pockets, nor in the house.

I retraced my steps, and prayed, “Dear Jesus, You know where those keys are. Please help me to find them.” I walked to all the places I had been trimming branches and continued to the compost heap where I had dumped the branches.

There, on the ground, lay the small bunch of keys.

Jesus directed me to them.

There were only three keys, but He knew they were important to me, and He had promised to help in all eventualities—small and great.

And He did help. Sisters, let us learn the secret to finding strength is to wait on the Lord.

Valerie Knowles Combie