There’s a kind of “strength” that looks impressive at first, but it doesn’t last. I’ve tried it. When I get tired of waiting, I’m tempted to kindle my own fire—to make my own plan, force my own solution, and set my own timeline. But that kind of self-made guidance is like trying to walk through life with nothing more than a spark. For a moment it feels like progress, but it isn’t enough light to lead you safely.

I can’t imagine walking a dark path with only a spark in my hand. Sooner or later I’d miss the edge, step into a ditch, or smash into a tree—because a spark can flicker, fade, and fail. And that’s exactly what happens when I rely on my own strength and wisdom instead of waiting on the Lord.

Isaiah warns us about that. Our strength, our wisdom, our self-made sparks—they can’t carry the soul. Proverbs says it plainly: “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” I’ve learned that my strength is small. I’ve learned I can’t be a good Christian in my ability. I’ve learned I can’t be a good dad or a good husband in my strength. That realization isn’t discouraging—it’s clarifying.

Waiting is the opposite of kindling my own fire. Waiting is looking to God instead of rushing ahead. It’s hopeful trust and expectant dependence. It’s admitting I need God’s help and believing He can provide what others cannot. When I stop trying to lead myself with sparks, I begin to see that God’s way is safer, wiser, and stronger.

So when the wait is long and my patience is thin, I remind myself: the Lord is not weary. His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint. And those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.