Wedding of Phindile & Thokozani; Engagment of Thinus Marloth & Irmgard Stegen
Isaiah 40
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
There’s nothing like living for God. It’s not like the life of someone in the world who goes for the fleeting pleasures of sin, drugs and alcohol and immorality; that’s a pig’s life.
Sin makes you old; it can even be seen on a person’s face. But someone living for God is fresh, full of life and God’s joy.
This text is rich. It’s this word that carried the bridegroom through the years as He trusted in God, for he is an orphan.
Young men do get weary, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, for God strengthens them.
If the young people want to go their own way and not follow the Lord, well it’s sometimes better to let them go and bump their head like the prodigal son. But blessed are those that choose the Lord from an early age.
What does it mean to wait upon the Lord – to trust in the Lord? In Hebrew it has three different meanings.
1) It refers to an eager anticipation or a great longing for someone.
For example:
“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.” (Luke 2:25).
This was his primary concern. It took all his attention. It was the goal of his life, looking forward to seeing the Saviour.
Your life should be changed because of this.
Luke 12
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
2) It is something that gives you orientation and direction. This becomes your point of reference. Everything else is measured according to this heavenly measure.
3) It also refers to taking aim to hit a target, like a person takes aim with a bow and arrow.
Remember the story of William Tell, how he was captured and forced to shoot an apple off his son’s head with a bow and arrow, and he did it successfully.
So to wait upon the Lord is to take aim to strike that apple in the center.
So you need to take careful aim to please the Lord. Those who take careful aim to know the Lord will not grow weary.
Engrave this word upon your heart until your last day.
There’s a Greek fable with an important message.
There was a captain of a ship, by name Odysseus. He sailed around on the sea. One day he came to a place where there were beautiful mermaids sirens.
So these mermaids sang beautifully, enchanting the passersby. Odysseus was so charmingly serenaded by their beauty and singing that he wanted to jump overboard to go to them. He realised the danger he was in by their enchanting song. So he took a rope and bound himself to the mast of the ship and overcame their enchantment in that way.
Those who wait upon the Lord, fixed on Him, bound to Him, shall renew their strength and not grow weary or go astray and be destroyed.