Meditation

Read Isaiah 40:26-31

Those who wait for 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.—Isaiah 40:31 (NRSV)

A few years ago I retired from ministry after about 40 years, and then four months later my husband died after a long illness. He had also been in ministry over 40 years. My grief continues to be monumental. As time goes by I ask myself, What now? Day by day I wait for the Lord to lead me. Volunteer opportunities abound, but at this point in my life, my scoliosis limits my physical activities.

One day recently it came to my mind that I have written sermons and articles for years; what about trying to write devotionals? So here I am writing devotionals, hoping to continue a new way of ministry.

Isaiah asks, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Is. 40:28, NIV). Those who faint and grow weary are given power and strength regardless of our age. The prophet reminds us, “Those who wait for 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: Dear God, our Creator, nourish us as we wait for your leading. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thought for the day: I can find renewed strength as I wait for the Lord.

—Mary Alice Potter, North Carolina