Finding Strength in the Waiting: An Advent Reflection
Podcast
Is 40:25-31
Scripture Passage
To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing! Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
Grace Prayed For
Receive His strength: We often feel weary and burdened, especially during busy seasons like Advent. Ask for the grace to receive God’s strength when you are weak, to allow Him to renew your spirit and empower you to persevere.
Reflection
The prophet Isaiah speaks these words to a people weary of waiting, a people who feel forgotten and lost. How often do we, like the Israelites, feel that our prayers go unheard, our struggles unseen? Especially during Advent, when darkness seems to linger and the world rushes towards a holiday frenzy, it’s easy to lose sight of the coming Light.
Yet, Isaiah reminds us to “lift up our eyes on high.” Look beyond the immediate, beyond the anxieties and uncertainties, and behold the vastness of the universe, the intricate beauty of creation. The God who calls each star by name, who orders the cosmos with effortless power, is the same God who knows the depths of our hearts, the number of hairs on our head.
He is the eternal God, the Alpha and Omega, who transcends time and space. He is not limited by our human understanding of “soon.” In His time, not ours, He will come. This Advent, we are invited to trust in His timing, to lean not on our own understanding but on His infinite wisdom.
“He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.” This is the promise of Advent, the hope that sustains us. Even when we feel like staggering youths, ready to collapse under the weight of the world, He offers us His strength. He promises to renew us, to lift us up on eagle’s wings, to enable us to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.
This Advent, let us fix our gaze on the coming King. Let us remember that He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Redeemer. He is Emmanuel, God with us, not just in a manger in Bethlehem, but here and now, in the midst of our weariness and waiting. He comes to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a Trinity of love pouring out upon us.
Let us wait with expectant hope, knowing that He who promised is faithful. He will come. And in His coming, we will find rest, strength, and everlasting joy.
Growing in Intimacy with Jesus
Encountering Jesus as the Creator:
“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things…” This verse invites you to contemplate Jesus, the Word through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3). As you marvel at the vastness of the universe and the intricacies of creation, you glimpse the majesty and power of Christ. This evokes awe and wonder, deepening your appreciation for His divine nature.
Daily Scripture Reflection
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post