I Can't Wait! - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - June 25, 2024

I Can’t Wait!
By: Kristine Brown

“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…” - Isaiah 40:31, ESV

Have you ever anticipated something so much that you used this phrase? “I can’t wait!” Lately, these three little words have become a big part of my vocabulary. During a hard season, the words offer expectancy for getting through all the things and arriving at something better. Of course, I know I can wait, but I use the expression to show my excitement for things to come.

I can’t wait to see you.

I can’t wait for vacation.

I can’t wait to feel better again.

I can’t wait to move past this and get back to normal.

Sometimes our can’t waits are filled with hope for the future - like the arrival of a new baby into the world, the return of a loved one who’s been away a long time, or a move to a long-awaited new home. But then there are those other can’t waits. The ones that say, “I’m tired of all this. When will it end? Why does everything have to be so difficult? Will I ever get a reprieve?”

When we’re surrounded by our deepest hurts, we long for it to be over. And as we struggle through another day, it’s perfectly normal to hope for a better one. Instead of excitement for the future, the familiar phrase represents the struggle with whatever we face in the moment. The words below spoken by the prophet Isaiah can help us change perspective about our current waiting while still anticipating things to come.

“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…” Isaiah 40:31 ESV

Isaiah represented a voice of encouragement to the Judeans living in exile. They knew the reality of going through a hard season - one that seemed like it would never end. I can’t fathom all they went through back then, but I can understand how they must’ve had the same thoughts I’ve had so many times.

“I can’t wait for this to be over. I can’t wait to get past this hard season so things will be right again.”

But in the waiting, God showed them He was there. He hadn’t forgotten them. Our Almighty God used Isaiah to share a Holy Spirit-inspired message with His people. He knew they looked at their situation in light of their past sins, so He showed them how to see it in light of their future hope.

When we read other translations of this verse, we get a picture of what waiting on the Lord really means. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “those who trust in the Lord,” replacing the word wait with trust. The New International Version also makes an adjustment, trading the word wait with hope, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

Therein lies the answer - the key to waiting well. When we fall into despair over life’s struggles and find ourselves just waiting for things to get better, let’s remember God’s promise through Isaiah. Whatever our current circumstances, we can let the words “I can’t wait!” mean trusting God today while still hoping for a better tomorrow. God will renew our strength in the wait.

Kristine Brown is a communicator at heart, sharing inspiration that highlights God’s powerful Word and redemptive grace. You’ll find weekly encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at her website, kristinebrown.net. Kristine is the author of the book, Over It. Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan, and the companion devotional for teen girls.

Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less

If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.

Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.

Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.

I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!