There’s a quiet, almost hidden truth in Isaiah 40:31 that I never noticed until recently. It's always been one of my favorite verses, and I can't count the number of times I've read it. But one day not long ago, while reading my Bible on the roof of my building, it suddenly jumped out at me. The verse does not say, “Those who wait on the Lord are strong. They soar on wings like eagles.” It does not make the claim that faith erases weariness in an instant—that with faith, human emotion disappears entirely. Instead, it says: “They that wait upon 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.”

That one word—shall—changes everything. It is a word of promise, not of pressure. It tells me that if today feels heavy, if my strength feels thin, there is no shame in it. There is no guilt that comes with the idea of "not trusting God enough." God has not forgotten me in my struggle to understand and my hard fought trials to continue hoping. His Word does not promise that life will be easy now, but that in time—more importantly, in His time—my strength shall be renewed. If you don't have faith in your plan coming to pass, you can have faith still in Him and His promises.

Faith is not about pretending to be okay; it’s about trusting that one day, God will do what He has said. Your faith does and should not lie in yourself and your own abilities. Your faith is in the almighty Creator of the universe, in Jehovah Jireh—the Lord will provide. There is a future woven into His promises, and the waiting is not wasted. Just as the sun rises each morning, so, too, His faithfulness will meet us when the time is right.

Living in the "shall" requires patience—a steady trust that even when I cannot see the outcome, God has already written it. He knows the end from the beginning, and His promises are as certain as the beating of my own heart. Even in the moments when I feel forsaken and forgotten, I know that I am not.

So if today feels weary, let it. If you're tired of everything, feel tired. When sorrow overcomes you, cry out to the Lord. Tell Him exactly how you feel. When you're at the end of your rope, tie one more knot, and hold on tight. Rest in the truth that this is not the end of your story. The day is coming when you shall soar. And when it does, you will know it was God who lifted you, God who carried you, God who fulfilled every word He spoke.

Romans 5:3-5, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."