Wait

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 In this song, he listed 119 historical references from 1949 to 1989.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.