"But those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

God's children are endowed with hope. Though we face problems as any other person would, we need not respond as any other person should. There will be times when loved ones are unwell and we need to step in to care, or perhaps, it could be we ourselves who are sick and faced with a difficult prognosis. There will be pressure from school or at work, and there will be days when everything that could go wrong does go wrong. In these moments we can get all flustered or we can hope in the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 is a wonderful promise, the word "hope" has been translated as "trust" and "wait" in different versions. All three words enrich our understanding. Those who "hope in the Lord" reminds us that though true hope is unseen, God backs up His word with who He is. There are evidences of God and His character in creation, in the historical Christ and in our consciousness. These help us to “trust”. Trust is confidence amidst the good and the bad. It leads us out of anxiety because it assures us that our future is secured. God is faithful and able to help us. We can rest in Him and not think that we need to solve everything ourselves. This is cultivated when we “wait”. Waiting is not as easy as it sounds. It is creating intentional space to be with God, to talk to Him, to worship Him. It is putting aside our distractions, laying down our flesh, going the distance for His presence.

The rewards for hoping, trusting and waiting in the Lord as Isaiah 40:31 states are an innate sturdiness and an inner solidness. Our strength will be constantly renewed, we will soar to new heights and refreshed to keep running. Christians need not respond the same way as others do in life, and the chief reason is we have God to call upon and Christ to rest on.

Ps. Loke Chi Shyan