Members of our church family have been thinking about our parish verse for 2015. See Brian’s take on it below – the product of a recent Search Light service,

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings like eagles.

They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

In Search Light today we were looking at the parish verse. In particular, and at my request, we focussed considerably on the first line “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”. I was struggling with the word “wait”. It seemed to me to be a word suggesting -just hang around and it will all happen. I don’t need to do anything.  This led me to wonder, were others thinking the same? Looking at other bible versions the word Hope or Trust is used. I got that. Those words spoke to me they seemed active –  me doing something.

The Recovery Bible says Isaiah 40:1- 66:24  is a message of hope, there’s that word  and through these words we can recognise that God’s ultimate purpose for his people is always their blessing. Clearly I needed help in understanding this and my friends were there to guide me to an understanding.

Wait, as a Hebrew translation means enduring, gaining strength through endurance. I wasn’t sure. There was a suggestion that it was a man thing. Wait! Oh no, we need to do something.

And then  with further input from friends the light came on “patient waiting but with expectation”. Patience to listen to what God is doing in our lives, waiting. Remember being told to listen to our teachers at school. Did we? I know I didn’t, well not always. And listening is not enough. We need to listen actively to make a difference. Likewise we need to actively “wait”. So trust and hope in the Lord, wait patiently and actively follow the path he lays before us.

Brian Gibbs