According to scripture, what ought one do in order to run and not be weary, walk and not faint? That’s easy, right. The answer is set out in plain view, in the Book of Isaiah.
Wait — Isaiah?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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.
Just what you were expecting, right?
That’s one of my favorite scriptures. I especially like the NIV for verse 31. Instead of “wait upon the Lord”, it reads “hope in the Lord”.
That scripture makes me think of two things: (1) the myth of Ganymede, who was carried up to heaven on the wings of an eagle to wait upon the Lord as his personal cupbearer, and (2) “Chariots of Fire.”
Well, okay, four things — but the other two should be obvious enough to this blog’s readership.
Ganymede isn’t exactly what I would think about, given the extent of his sexual role with Jupiter …
But I like the Isaiah scripture, along with the one on the Sabbath day near-by to it.
Is that why Adam took that name?
Glad to see you discovered the Old Testament, Kaimi.
Kaimi:
We’ve all seen “Remember the Titans” Everybody in the universe knows this scripture. Sorry.
If your point is we attribute good health (walk and not faint) to the word of wisdom, then I think you are barking up the wrong tree.
If you read the D&C you notice that a lot of the language seems borrowed from other scriptures. For example, I was once baffled by 121:15, “And not many years hence, that they and their posterity shall be swept from under heaven, saith God, that not one of them is left to stand by the wall.” Huh? Who stands? What wall? An institute teacher explained that it means there won’t be any men left, borrowing from an Old Testament euphemism for the male propensity to urinate against a wall. In the OT it’s the more explicit, “pisseth against the wall” (cf. 1 Kings 14:10, 1 Sam 25:22, 25:34; 1 Kings 16:11, 21:21; and 2 Kings 9:8).
What does it really mean to “wait upon the Lord”? If a person has been waiting on the Lord for more than 20 years, how long is long enough?
Darn, and I thought that the run/walk/weary/faint reference was from Chariots of Fire.
This is a favorite scripture of mine.
Daniel, hope you can hang in there, whatever you are struggling with.
Waiting can be so hard. I was talking with a friend about something I have been waiting for, aching for. I have felt that it was important to recognize that while a decade (plus) is a long time to me, it’s not to God.
So I said, “What’s a decade to God?” And my friend kindly reminded me that, while it isn’t the same to Him, He still knows and cares about what it is to me — He cares about my pain. I received a blessing, too, that helped me know that He is aware of where I am. That doesn’t take away my pain, but does give me some comfort, some strength to hang on, to keep waiting, leaning on the Lord and trusting in His timetable and plan for me.
I have appreciated all that, so, for what it’s worth, I’m sharing it with you.
Another friend shared a line that is from a poem by John Milton. It’s the last line that she shared, and it takes my breath away.
On His Blindness
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He returning chide,
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
The problem with “waiting on the Lord” is that the timeline is skewed.
If you’re talking about health, “waiting” might just mean “waiting until you’re resurrected.” So how, in the scope of the gospel, does this give us anything to work with? We all know we’ll be renewed by then. Does this counsel to “wait on the Lord” give us something sooner? If we don’t wait, will we be resurrected without health? In other words, what is the difference if we follow this counsel or not?
When I read it I interpreted “wait upon the Lord” as “to perform the duties of an attendant or servant for”. In which case isn’t that consistent with the ideas perpetuated in the church about longevity of apostles and prophets and the renewing of their bodies etc.