Wait
Beef And Dairy Days Service
August 17th, 2025
Text: Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Introduction
Good morning, everyone! It’s great to see everyone at our Beef and Dairy Day’s service.
I’m going to date myself a little.
Back in 1989 there was a song that sat on top of the Billboard top 100 chart by a singer named Billy Joel. In this song, he listed 119 historical references from 1949 to 1989.
When all of these events happened- they were huge news stories. The three major networks- ABC, CBS, and NBC, ran them as their top story. Some of these stories caused huge protests and demonstrations to break out, and as a people it caused a lot of stress and chaos in our culture.
Sound familiar? Things don’t change very much do they?
Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was really his defense of his generation- saying hey- all of this stuff you’re blaming us for is just a continuation of people being people.
Now, 36 years after he wrote that hit song, the world hasn’t changed much.
Today have had the same issues, the same kinds of turmoil, scandals, protests, demonstrations and civil unrest that he listed in his song.
Living through all of this causes stress and anxiety to enter into our hearts and minds.
Not to mention, just the stress of living our lives.
If we aren’t careful, the enemy of our souls will use this to create fear, doubt and unbelief in our spirits in an effort to pull us into his darkness and take us captive.
However, God has provided for us a lifeline here in Isaiah 40.
This morning, we are going to look at that lifeline, and see how our loving Father has provided for us even in uncertain times.
The historical background to this chapter is that the people of Israel are in a dark place. They have been conquered, taken from their land, and are living as captives in a foreign land.
In their perspective they are in the darkness and they have no hope.
God tells the Prophet Isaiah to send them a message of encouragement and instruction that will help them during this time.
We are going to read part of that this morning-
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31But those who wait on 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.
Prayer- that God gives us HIS strength for our weary hearts
Scripture like this is why I love the bible. Not only does it give us a glimpse into the heart of God, but it also gives us practical instruction on how to live.
What the bible is telling us here is that God-
He sees your weariness,
He knows your struggles,
God understands the fear that is trying to take over your heart and mind.
That is why HE is calling out to use this morning to reject that fear.
He knows that once fear takes root,
it steals our joy,
In our desperation to feel better, we seek out the things around us, which might give us a temporary feeling of happiness, but then the fear returns, often even more powerful. This sets a cycle of seeking out the wrong things to help us feel better, deepening the devil’s hold on our hearts and minds.
But God gives us an alternative.
Wait upon HIM.
What Does It Mean to “Wait” on the Lord?
The Hebrew word for “wait” in this passage, is rich with meaning.
Like in our English language- Hebrew words could have multiple meaning depending on the context.
For example, in English the word “rain”
What am I talking about?
Precipitation from the sky?
Sometime to guide a horse?
Or the rulership of a monarch?
The Hebrew word for wait is similar in that it has various meanings.
We are going to look at a few of those meanings, and in doing so, we are going to see how God has planned in advance to help us have a sense of peace even during the most challenging of circumstance.
Here are three practical ways we can “wait” on the Lord to receive His strength, discernment, and HIS peace in these chaotic days.
1. Wait by Trusting God’s Word
First, waiting on God means trusting HIM enough to live according to His Word.
The Bible isn’t just a collection of stories or rules—it’s God’s living voice, a lamp to our souls in a world full of darkness. In these days of information overload, where lies masquerade as truth, God’s Word is our anchor.
It teaches us to love our enemies when division is easier,
It encourages us to seek justice with humility when anger feels justified,
And it asks us to trust God’s plan when the future seems uncertain.
Living by God’s Word is an active choice. It means saying “no” to the world’s noise and “yes” to God’s truth.
For example, when you are staring at your phone, and you see a story that makes you want to break something we can turn to
Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I remember when I was in high school and learning how to program computers, the teacher had a saying- garbage in, garbage out. If you missed one line of code, or one symbol out of place, the program would crash when you tried to run it.
We are the same way- if you only put the worlds bad news, or social media drama into your minds 24/7, you will get out of that fear, doubt and unbelief.
Science shows us that your brains will begin to rewire toward the negative all of the time (neuroplasticity).
God doesn’t want that for you. This is why HE calls us to align our thoughts and lives to what HIS word tells us.
And that is why regular bible reading is so important in our lives.
Application: Start small. Maybe something like Psalm 23 or Matthew 5-8—and let it guide your decisions.
A second meaning of the Hebrew word for wait is to trust
2. We wait on the LORD by Trusting in God’s Promises
Second, waiting on God means trusting in His promises, no matter what the headlines say.
You’ll notice that at the beginning of our bible reading today-
Isaiah 40:28 reminds us that God is the Creator of the ends of the earth, with understanding no one can fathom.
He’s not surprised by the state of our world. None of this is catching HIM by surprise.
But there is a truth that we need to believe- God is sovereign.
That means HE is king.
That means HE is in charge. His promises are sure. He’s promised to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5), to work all things for good (Romans 8:28), and to bring ultimate justice and peace (Revelation 21:4).
Trusting God’s promises means letting go of fear and resting in His control. It’s choosing to believe that He’s working, even when we can’t see it.
A close corollary to this idea of trusting in God’s word is the discipline of waiting on God. What does that mean?
There is a human parable that asks a question. If you see two dogs in a fight, how can you tell which one will win.
The answer- the dog who is fed the best.
A few moments ago we mentioned garbage in, garbage out.
In our struggle against fear, doubt, and unbelief, there is a critical truth we must realize- what we feed the most is what will rule in our lives.
If we feed our minds and spirits a constant stream of negativity and vice, we shouldn’t surprised what comes out the other end.
But if we feed our minds and spirits a diet of God’s word and it’s truth, seek HIS presence in prayer and mediation-
Faith, hope, and love will fill us and drive the darkness out of our souls.
It’s all about which one we focus on the most.
That brings us to the third meaning
3. Binding or Twisting Together
The word for wait is also related to the idea of a cord or rope being twisted or intertwined.
If you ever look at a rope, you will see multiple smaller ropes or fibers twisted or weaved together.
If you untwist a rope, and remove one strand, it cannot hold much weight or endure much strain. After you pull on it a few times, it will stretch the fibers will begin to snap, and it will fail.
That rope was never designed to be just one little rope, but one of many ropes working together and sharing whatever load is put on it.
And that is what this third meaning of the word “Wait” points us toward- the fact that humans were never created to stand alone.
We were always meant to be in community- to have additional cords around us to strengthen us as we walk through life.
The most important of these cords that is meant to strengthen us is God HIMself.
In fact, I’ll even say that if God isn’t our source of our spiritual strength, the world will eventually overwhelm the strongest of us.
But what keeps us from having a close and intimate relationship with God?
Jesus told us the answer to that question-
In John 3:19 he says, “This is the truth- light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.”
When we chose those things that are not of God,
We forfeit the strength, the power, the presence, and provision of our Father God because we would rather have what the world has to offer than who HE Is.
If you have fallen into that trap- I would strongly implore you this morning come back to HIM.
God your Father is waiting with open arms.
Jesus said in John 3:16 (CSB)
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Make that step this morning. Turn from those destructive life choices that the bible calls sin. Become a follower of Jesus, and the promises we see in Isaiah will become yours.
Let’s look at those promises.
The Promise: Renewed Strength
“Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.” This isn’t a quick caffeine hit or a temporary boost.
Trusting in God is a deep, divine renewal that equips us to live
clear-minded in these overwhelming times.
Let’s unpack the three promises that Isaiah gives us:
• The First Promise- Soaring on wings like eagles: We are blessed that we live in an area where we see bald eagles all of the time. Eagles don’t flap frantically when they fly—they glide on the wind’s strength. When we wait on God, His Spirit lifts us above the chaos, giving us HIS perspective rooted in His truth. We see the world’s turmoil through His eyes, and it will no longer control us.
• The second Promise- Running and not growing weary: In Hebrews 12, God calls us to run the race of faith (Hebrews 12:1), pursuing His purposes with passion. In His strength, we can keep going, unshaken by the world’s turmoil, because His power sustains us.
• The Third Promise- Walking and not fainting: Life isn’t always a sprint—sometimes it’s a long, steady walk. God’s strength keeps us moving forward, step by step, even when we’re tired. God sustains us through the daily grind, giving us peace that endures.
Following the bible’s words in Isaiah are the only way to live with clarity in a world of information overload.
The world’s noise will drain you, confuse you, and leave you weary.
But when we wait upon the LORD,
But God’s strength will renew you, guide you, and give you peace.
“Friends, our world may feel like chaos, but the Word of God has never changed—those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. So today, whether you’re soaring, running, or just putting one foot in front of the other, don’t do it alone—bind your life to Jesus Christ. He will lift you, sustain you, and give you peace that this world can never take away.”
Prayer
Conclusion
