Renewed Strength Through Waiting on the Lord
Summary
In this Advent season, as we approach Christmas, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by the cumulative weight of the year. This time of joy can also be a period of collective weariness, where the challenges and difficulties of the past months catch up with us. Isaiah 40 offers a profound promise for those feeling worn out: "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength." This promise speaks directly to our need for renewal and strength as we close out the year.
Isaiah 40 addresses God's people, who feel that their way is hidden from the Lord and that their rights are disregarded. These feelings of disappointment and questioning God's faithfulness are not new; they have been experienced by believers throughout history. God, in His tenderness, brings these hidden thoughts into the open, not to condemn but to comfort. He invites us to lean into the truth we know about Him: He is our Creator, He does not grow weary, He works on an everlasting timescale, and His understanding is unsearchable.
In our weariness, we are reminded of our human limitations. Even the strongest among us will grow tired and exhausted. Yet, God gives strength to the weary by giving Himself to us. This is not a sudden burst of energy but a sustaining presence that enables us to keep pressing on. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this in his ministry, where he toils with the energy that God powerfully works within him.
To receive this strength, we must wait on the Lord, which means looking expectantly and with eager anticipation. As we lean into the truth we know about God and ourselves, we lay hold of the hope we have in Christ. This hope is not just for the future but is a present reality that sustains us through life's challenges. As we gather around the Lord's table, we ascend by faith to have fellowship with our living Savior, drawing strength from Him.
Key Takeaways:
- God's Tenderness in Our Weariness: God addresses our hidden disappointments not to condemn but to comfort us. He invites us to bring our questions and weariness to Him, knowing that He speaks with tenderness and seeks to restore our relationship with Him. [08:49]
- Leaning into Known Truths: In times of weariness, we are called to lean into the truths we know about God: He is our Creator, He does not grow weary, He works on an everlasting timescale, and His understanding is unsearchable. These truths provide a foundation for our faith and strength. [12:42]
- Understanding Our Human Limitations: Recognizing our human limitations is crucial. Even the strongest among us will grow tired, but this awareness helps us rely on God's sustaining power rather than our own strength. [19:27]
- Receiving God's Strength: God gives strength to the weary by giving Himself to us. This is not a sudden burst of energy but a sustaining presence that enables us to keep pressing on, as exemplified by the Apostle Paul. [23:34]
- Waiting on the Lord: To receive God's strength, we must wait on the Lord with eager anticipation and hope. This involves looking expectantly to God, trusting in His promises, and drawing strength from our relationship with Him. [26:42]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Introduction to Advent Season
- [00:57] - Collective Weariness
- [01:33] - Promise of Renewed Strength
- [02:42] - God's People Questioning
- [04:15] - Feeling Let Down by God
- [06:24] - Real Questions of Faith
- [07:24] - God's Comforting Questions
- [09:22] - God's Tenderness and Love
- [11:18] - Leaning into Known Truths
- [13:12] - Strength in Familiar Truths
- [15:38] - God's Everlasting Timescale
- [17:14] - Understanding Our Limitations
- [21:57] - Laying Hold of Hope
- [23:34] - Receiving God's Strength
- [26:42] - Waiting on the Lord
- [29:56] - Ascending by Faith
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 40:27-31
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the feelings expressed by God's people in Isaiah 40:27, and how do they relate to the theme of weariness discussed in the sermon? [02:42]
2. According to Isaiah 40:28, what are the characteristics of God that are highlighted, and how do these attributes provide comfort to the weary? [12:03]
3. How does the sermon describe the way God gives strength to the weary, and what biblical example is used to illustrate this? [23:34]
4. What does it mean to "wait on the Lord" as described in Isaiah 40:31, and how is this concept explained in the sermon? [26:42]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the feelings of disappointment and questioning God's faithfulness expressed by God's people in Isaiah 40:27? What does this reveal about the human experience of faith? [03:38]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that recognizing our human limitations can lead to a deeper reliance on God? How does this understanding impact our daily lives? [19:27]
3. The sermon mentions that God gives strength by giving Himself to us. How does this differ from the idea of receiving a sudden burst of energy, and what implications does this have for our spiritual journey? [23:34]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between leaning into known truths about God and receiving His strength? How does this process help believers in times of weariness? [12:42]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt that your way was hidden from the Lord, as described in Isaiah 40:27. How did you address these feelings, and what role did your faith play in that process? [02:42]
2. The sermon emphasizes God's tenderness in addressing our weariness. How can you cultivate a practice of bringing your hidden disappointments to God, trusting in His comfort and understanding? [08:49]
3. Consider the truths about God mentioned in Isaiah 40:28. Which of these attributes do you find most challenging to trust in during difficult times, and how can you work on strengthening your faith in this area? [12:03]
4. The sermon highlights the importance of recognizing our human limitations. How can acknowledging your own limitations lead to a more profound reliance on God's sustaining power in your life? [19:27]
5. Waiting on the Lord involves eager anticipation and hope. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a posture of waiting on God in your daily routine? [26:42]
6. The sermon describes the Apostle Paul's experience of toiling with God's energy. How can you apply this example to your own life, especially in areas where you feel exhausted or overwhelmed? [25:13]
7. As you gather around the Lord's table, how can you intentionally draw strength from your relationship with Christ, and what specific actions can you take to deepen this fellowship? [29:56]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Tenderness in Our Weariness
In times of weariness, God does not turn away from us but instead approaches with tenderness and understanding. He acknowledges our hidden disappointments and questions, not to judge us, but to offer comfort and restoration. This divine tenderness invites us to bring our burdens and uncertainties to Him, trusting that He desires to renew our relationship with Him. As we open our hearts to His gentle presence, we find solace and strength to face our challenges. [08:49]
Isaiah 42:3-4 (ESV): "A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law."
Reflection: Think of a specific disappointment or burden you are carrying. How can you invite God's tenderness into this area of your life today?
Day 2: Leaning into Known Truths
When we are weary, it is crucial to lean into the truths we know about God. He is our Creator, who never grows weary, and His understanding is beyond our comprehension. These truths provide a solid foundation for our faith, reminding us that God operates on an everlasting timescale and is always working for our good. By focusing on these known truths, we can find strength and reassurance in the midst of life's uncertainties. [12:42]
Psalm 121:2-4 (ESV): "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
Reflection: Identify one truth about God that you can hold onto today. How does this truth change your perspective on a current challenge?
Day 3: Understanding Our Human Limitations
Recognizing our human limitations is an essential step in relying on God's strength. Even the strongest among us will grow tired and exhausted, but this awareness helps us shift our reliance from our own abilities to God's sustaining power. By acknowledging our limitations, we open ourselves to receive the strength that God provides, allowing us to persevere through life's difficulties with His help. [19:27]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel limited or weak? How can you invite God's strength into this area today?
Day 4: Receiving God's Strength
God gives strength to the weary by giving Himself to us. This strength is not a sudden burst of energy but a sustaining presence that enables us to keep pressing on. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this in his ministry, where he toils with the energy that God powerfully works within him. By relying on God's presence, we can find the endurance needed to navigate life's challenges. [23:34]
Colossians 1:28-29 (ESV): "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you need endurance. How can you rely on God's sustaining presence to help you persevere?
Day 5: Waiting on the Lord
To receive God's strength, we must wait on the Lord with eager anticipation and hope. This involves looking expectantly to God, trusting in His promises, and drawing strength from our relationship with Him. As we wait on the Lord, we are reminded that our hope in Christ is not just for the future but is a present reality that sustains us through life's challenges. [26:42]
Lamentations 3:25-26 (ESV): "The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
Reflection: What does waiting on the Lord look like for you today? How can you cultivate a posture of eager anticipation and trust in His promises?
Quotes
"Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and that speaks to me I'm sure it speaks to you and of course it raises in my mind the question Lord Lord that's what I need that's what I want to have my strength renewed coming into the last part of this year but how in the world am I going to get there." [00:01:39]
"Now remember straight away that Jacob or Israel are God's people these are the people that he has redeemed God brought them out of slavery and God said to them now I will be your people and you will be my people and I will be your God so here we have God's people Jacob Israel speaking." [00:03:01]
"Now some of you may be in exactly that position here you are you're a student and you have been laying out your testimony you've taken a bold stand for for Jesus Christ and and you come towards the end of the year and you say now I've really been pushing the boundaries here I've been laying it out for the Lord." [00:05:31]
"These are real questions and they lurk in hidden places in the hearts of genuine believers and what they do when they're not addressed is that they SAP your strength they rode away at the substance of your faith and so I want you to notice what God does here he brings the disappointment out into the open." [00:07:00]
"Comfort comfort my people says the Lord speak tenderly to Jerusalem and so when God is asking the question at the end of this chapter that is all about comforting his people and speaking tenderly you need to know that the tone of voice in which God is speaking is a tone of great tenderness." [00:08:30]
"Have you not known have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting God he's the creator of the ends of the earth he does not faint and he does not grow weary and his understanding is unsearchable there isn't this interesting that when God comes to restore the relationship in which there is tension with his own people in their weariness." [00:12:06]
"Your faith will never be strengthened by learning something new but by coming back to what you have heard and what you have known and so today we're going to come around the Lord's table faith is strengthened not by learning something new but by coming back to that which we have heard and that which we have known." [00:12:47]
"Now he's created you and and the fact that he does not grow weary reminds us that he sustains you he doesn't make a person he doesn't redeem a person and then say oh I didn't work out very well and forget move on to somebody else in His mercy and in His grace he never tires of you." [00:14:45]
"Now notice the words that are used here faint no might faint again weary and fall exhausted it's pretty compelling language and that's us folks and the Bible God is saying to us he remember that's us at our best even youths the point here is physical energy at its best even use shall faint and be weary." [00:18:12]
"Lean into the truth that you know about God he's your Creator and not only his is he your Creator he's your sustainer he's never going to tire a few he's never gonna let you go he's always going to hold you in the palm of his hand as you are his redeemed child and his he is everlasting and his ways are unsearchable." [00:17:14]
"God gives this is an action of God towards people who have been feeling weary and jaded and rundown and times when they feel how are we going to face the next thing and strength is depleted and faith has been burning low and what happens God gives he gives what's he give he gives power he gives strength." [00:22:36]
"Lay hold of the hope that you have is what happens when you lean into the truth of what you know the one really leads into the other when you really are leaning in to the truth of what you know that God is your Creator that he's everlasting that he does not grow weary and that is understanding no one can fathom." [00:27:54]
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