27th. November. 2021. Daily Devotion.

29 He gives strength to the weary  and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  31 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 40:29-31.

Waiting can be filled with eager anticipation—children waiting for Christmas; teens waiting to get their driver’s license; adults waiting with joy for their wedding day or for the arrival of their first child.

There is also a more difficult side to waiting. Parents wait anxiously for a medical assessment after their child has had an accident. When we have lost a job, or when a spouse is critically ill, we wait with heavy hearts for an indication that God is watching over us and providing for us in our need.

Isaiah 40 begins with words of comfort and ends with words of hope. Those who wait on the Lord and put their hope in him will be renewed; “they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

As wonderful as these promises are, we can all testify that we long for our days of waiting to be over as our need for comfort continues. Is our hope in the Lord in vain? Far from it! Jesus, the Lamb of God, is on the throne. We are called to declare the good news that Jesus has come and is coming again. Until that day we are called to join with him in absorbing the suffering of the world. And we pray daily for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done.

Lord, our lives are filled with waiting. Sometimes we anticipate with joy; some­times we dread waking to another day. May our hope always be in you, our King who has come and is coming again. In your name, Amen.

For the Presence of God

O God, be present with me always, dwell within my heart. With thy light and thy Spirit guide my soul, my thoughts, and all my actions, that I may teach thy Word, that thy healing power may be in me and in all the saints of thy church universal. Amen ~ Philipp Melanchthon, 1550.

To Serve Christ

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous;
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not heed the wounds,
To toil and not seek for rest,
To labour and not to seek reward,
Save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.  adapted from a prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola 1540.

Prayer for Overcoming Life’s Hardships 

O Lord we call upon you in our time of sorrows, That you give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion.  Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life’s hardships

Keep us ever in Your watch, till we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits. Amen.