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                                               WAIT and RENEW

    Isa. 40:31 says “ They that wait upon the Lord shall renew  
    their  strength…….”

        I don’t read Greek or Hebrew. I do have at least ten books
    explaining or interpreting the languages of the Original
    written Word.
        In the search for truth and understanding of it I learned
    that there are five Hebrew words for faith.

        One  Hebrew word translated “faith” is found in Genesis
    15:6. This is the Hebrew word “amen” It means to use God
    as a prop; to use God as a foundation, to lean on Him.

        There is a Hebrew word translated “faith” or “trust” in
    Psalm 37:3.  This Hebrew word was originally used of two
    wrestlers grappling, when finally one of them picks up the
    other and slams him down to the ground. From this the
    word eventually came to mean  “pick up your troubles and
    problems and slam them on the Lord” and therefore became
    another word for “trust.”

        Another word used in Psalm 57:1, was used to “flee like a
    bunny,” as a bunny would flee from a large, vicious animal.
    The rabbit does not stop to fight with a snarling snapping
    predator on his trail. He knows who would win so he flees.
    But his enemy is too much for him, and as he is about to
    feint, he suddenly discovers a rock with a crack in it, or, to
    use the Biblical term, a cleft.  So the little bunny hops into
    the cleft, goes back in as far as possible, and he is safe.
    This word, first used for a bunny running away from a big
    animal and finding safety in the cleft of a rock, actually
    meant “to flee as a rabbit in the cleft of a rock.”
    Again, it is a word for faith. It means to hide in the cleft of
    The Rock Christ Jesus, where nothing can touch you.

        A fourth word, found in Job 13:15 means to trust in
    extreme pain. Even though you are utterly and totally
    miserable, or in extreme pain, you have confidence of
    deliverance.
    It came to mean faith, too. But the Holy Spirit does not use
    any of these words in this verse -

        “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew....."

        There is one other word translated “wait,”  which is not a
    bad translation, although it does not convey the whole idea.
    The word was originally used of making rope. There is first
    just a little strand, which is easy to break. This is the
    “fainter.”  But as this little strand is woven in with other
    strands, it becomes a rope which cannot be broken.
        This word meant to be a strand twisted into a great rope
    and therefore made strong, and it came to mean “trust.”
    Those who wait on the Lord are “those who keep on
    trusting the Lord”  Even though they are weak little strands,
    those who keep trusting on the Lord become a gigantic,
    powerful rope which nothing can break.
        It is interesting to note that in the Old Testament every
    time you find the word “faith” or the word “trust,” it is one
    of these five Hebrew words, but in every passage there is a
    little different emphasis. In the passage before us, “wait”
    should be translated,  “but they who habitually trust the
    Lord…..”they who keep on trusting the Lord in spite of all
    difficulties,  in spite of the hopelessness of the situation,
    those who keep resting in faith….
                      SHALL RENEW THEIR FAITH
        It turns out that after looking at the word “renew” that it
    is not a good translation.
        The idea here is not that of renewing  strength as
    renewing our physical strength. God is not talking about
    human strength. He is talking about divine strength.
        It should be literally,” They who keep on trusting the
    Lord  shall EXCHANGE their strength.”
        The Hebrew word for “exchange” meant to, “exchange
    our human strength for divine strength.”  To turn in our
    strength, which is at best very weak, and to get back divine
    strength.
    When we say, “Lord, I can’t do it,”  the Lord answers, “I will
    solve the problem, I will give you the strength, I will provide
    everything necessary for you to meet this difficult problem
    in your life.”
        However, this exchange  of human strength for divine
    strength does not come until we quit trusting human
    strength.  Divine strength is the automatic consequence of   
    constant trust in Him.
        This verse says, “The power of God does not come in fits
    and starts, it does not come in spurts and stops; The Power
    of God is a steady, continuous energy  which is not
    dependent upon emotion, rationalism or anything else. It
    depends upon believing the Word of God! Waiting on the
    Lord, habitual waiting on the Lord.

        I can only offer up to Him those words in the New
    Testament , ”Lord, help my unbelief.”              


                                                                                                       
                    David