“But they that wait upon YHWH will 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.”

It was not an audible voice that said this verse, but somehow these words were placed within my spirit so powerfully that the impact jolted me. I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was sitting in an electronics class, in the second story classroom of a school in Liverpool, NY. It was the spring of ’85. I was 23 years old.

A minute before this life changing incident, I was a sick and weary individual. I had just recently met Yeshua (Jesus) as my Savior. I was very happy about this, but in getting to know Him, I realized His ways were not the same as some of the ways I had been living my life. The more time I spent with Him, the more I realized there were sins in my life I needed to give up. I was not sure I wanted to give these sins up. I was at a crossroads in my life. I could see the benefit of a relationship with Yeshua… but did I really have to give up the sins I enjoyed? Was it that big a deal? Could Yeshua have one part of my life and I take care of the rest? These were the questions that I had been considering as I continued to walk in sin. What I did not know, since I was a new believer, was any unrepentant sin I allowed, was not content to stay in its little corner of my life I wanted to give it. It wanted to spread like a bad rash. It took ground from the new joy, peace, and strength I had just recently been experiencing in my life. It wearied me and made me physically sick.

That is where I was that fresh spring evening, sitting in the electronics class, weary and heavy laden; the next thing I knew, the verse I had read that morning resounded in my head. It literally jolted me with life. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to forsake the sin I was trying to enjoy and walk by the standard of the Bible. It was different than what is accepted in society, but at this point, I chose to believe this was the right way to walk. I repented of my sin and “waited” on my Lord. What a difference it has made in my life.

Up until that point, I walked in the wisdom of the world. As I started “waiting on YHWH” and seeking His face in how to live out daily life, life started to change and so did I. My strength was renewed, and I was able to mount up with wings as eagles. That was 23 years ago and as I look back over my life, I can say as I have waited on YHWH, I have been able to run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. His word is true and He is faithful.