A Song of Hope
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:25-31; Revelation 6:9-11
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Waiting can be filled with eager anticipation—children waiting for Christmas; teens waiting to get their driver’s license; adults waiting with joy for their wedding day or for the arrival of their first child.
There is also a more difficult side to waiting. Parents wait anxiously for a medical assessment after their child has had an accident. When we have lost a job, or when a spouse is critically ill, we wait with heavy hearts for an indication that God is watching over us and providing for us in our need.
Isaiah 40 begins with words of comfort and ends with words of hope. Those who wait on the Lord and put their hope in him will be renewed; “they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
As wonderful as these promises are, we can all testify that we long for our days of waiting to be over as our need for comfort continues. Is our hope in the Lord in vain? Far from it! Jesus, the Lamb of God, is on the throne. We are called to declare the good news that Jesus has come and is coming again. Until that day we are called to join with him in absorbing the suffering of the world. And we pray daily for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done.
Lord, our lives are filled with waiting. Sometimes we anticipate with joy; sometimes we dread waking to another day. May our hope always be in you, our King who has come and is coming again. In your name, Amen.
About the author — John Van Schepen
Dr. John Van Schepen is a retired pastor who served churches in Washington, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oregon and California. He and his wife, Willie, have been blessed with five children and several grandchildren.
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