Filter Content:

Waiting on the Lord

Reference: Isaiah 40:28–31

Big Idea: When we are tired, discouraged, or unsure of what God is doing, we can trust Him. God does not grow weary, and He gives strength to those who wait for Him.

Teacher Quick Reference

⏱️
Lesson: Waiting on the Lord
Scripture: Isaiah 40:28–31
Big Idea: God gives strength to those who trust Him and wait for Him.
Three Main Points:
  1. We get tired — God does not.
  2. Waiting means trusting God even when we don't have answers.
  3. God gives us strength for the next step.
Activity: The Next Step
Memory Verse: Isaiah 40:31
Take-Home Truth:
"I may not know what God is doing, but I can trust the God who does."

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we are exploring what it means to “wait on the Lord.” Often, when we face difficult circumstances, we want God to act immediately. We want the answers right now, the healing right now, or the solution right now. But Isaiah 40 teaches us a profound truth: God does not grow tired, and when we choose to actively trust Him in the waiting, He transfers His limitless strength to our weary hearts.

Teacher Preparation

Read Isaiah 40:28–31 multiple times this week. Consider areas in your own life where you are currently having to “wait on the Lord.” Children are highly perceptive; when you teach this lesson from a place of personal trust in God’s timing, the authenticity will resonate with them.

Gather the necessary materials for the “The Next Step” activity based on the age group you are teaching.

Opening Question

Begin the class by asking the students about a time they had to wait for something they really wanted.

  • “Have you ever had to wait for Christmas morning, or for a birthday party to start?”
  • “How does waiting make you feel? Does it make you feel patient, or does it make you feel tired and frustrated?”

Explain that today, we are going to talk about a different kind of waiting: waiting on God when things are hard.

Scripture Reading

Have the students open their Bibles to Isaiah 40. Read verses 28 through 31 together.

“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.” — Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV)

Teaching: What Does it Mean to Wait?

1. We get tired — God does not.

The prophet Isaiah starts by reminding the people of Israel who God is. He is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He is the everlasting God. And most importantly for this lesson: He never, ever gets tired.

Think about the strongest person you know. Eventually, even they have to go to sleep. Even the most energetic teenager gets exhausted. But God’s strength is infinite. When we feel like we can’t take another step, God is not tired at all.

2. Waiting means trusting God even when we don’t have answers.

When the Bible talks about “waiting on the Lord,” it doesn’t mean sitting in a waiting room reading a magazine, doing absolutely nothing. Biblical waiting is active. It means continuing to trust God, continuing to obey Him, and continuing to pray, even when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He is taking so long.

Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Cross-Reference: Have the students turn to Proverbs 3:5-6. Discuss how trusting in the Lord with all our heart is the very essence of “waiting” on Him, rather than leaning on our own understanding.

3. God gives us strength for the next step.

Notice what happens when we wait upon the Lord: He renews our strength. He doesn’t always promise to immediately take the difficult situation away. Instead, He promises to give us the power we need to keep going. Sometimes that means soaring like an eagle. Sometimes it means running. But often, it simply means having just enough strength to walk and not faint.

Discussion Questions

Take a few minutes to discuss the lesson together.

  • What is the difference between how we get tired and how God experiences tiredness?
  • Can you think of a time when you felt like you had no strength left? How can God help in those moments?
  • Why is it hard to wait for God to answer a prayer?
  • What is one thing you can do to “actively wait” and show trust in God this week?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: The Next Step View Standalone →

This activity helps students visualize that God gives us exactly the strength we need for the step we are on.

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Stepping Stones: Place paper plates or colored construction paper across the floor. Tell the children that these are stepping stones across a river. Have them practice taking just one step at a time, holding your hand if they feel wobbly. Explain that God holds our hand and gives us the strength for just one step at a time.

Early Elementary (Grades 1-3)

The Blindfolded Guide: Set up a simple, safe obstacle course in the classroom using chairs and cones. Pair the students up. One student is blindfolded, and the other is the guide. The guide cannot touch the blindfolded student but must give them verbal instructions for exactly one step at a time (e.g., “Take one step forward. Now take one small step to the left.”).

Debrief: Discuss how the blindfolded person had to trust the guide completely, even without seeing the whole path. That is what it means to wait on the Lord!

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Soaring Eagle Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • Empty toilet paper rolls (one per child)
  • Brown and white construction paper
  • Googly eyes (optional)
  • Glue sticks or liquid glue
  • Scissors
  • Markers or crayons

Purpose

To give children a physical reminder of Isaiah 40:31, helping them remember that when they wait on the Lord, He gives them the strength to soar like eagles.

Setup

Finished Eagle Craft

  1. Cut out a small white paper “head” shape and a small yellow paper “beak” for each child (or have older children cut their own).
  2. Set out the toilet paper rolls, paper, and glue at the tables.

Instructions

  1. Make the Body: Have the children take their toilet paper roll and glue brown construction paper around it to cover it completely.
  2. Make the Wings: Have the children place both of their hands flat on a piece of brown construction paper. Trace their hands with a marker. (You may need volunteers to help the younger children trace).
  3. Cut out the two handprints. These are the eagle’s wings!
  4. Assemble the Eagle:
    • Glue the handprint wings to the back of the toilet paper roll so they spread out wide on either side.
    • Glue the white head to the top front of the roll.
    • Glue the yellow beak and googly eyes onto the white head.
  5. Add the Promise: Have older children write (or help younger children write) “Isaiah 40:31” on one wing, and “Wait on the LORD” on the other wing.

Discussion While Crafting

  • “How high do you think an eagle can fly? They can fly above the storm clouds!”
  • “When we are tired or frustrated because we have to wait, what does God promise to give us if we wait on Him?” (Strength to soar).

Memory Verse

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) “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.”

Knowledge Check

Let’s review what we learned today about trusting God!

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

Loading...

Take-Home Application

As you leave today, remember our take-home truth: “I may not know what God is doing, but I can trust the God who does.” When you face something difficult this week, don’t try to rely only on your own strength. Ask God to renew your strength, and wait patiently for Him to act.

Closing Prayer

“Lord, thank You that You never get tired. We admit that we get weary, discouraged, and frustrated when we have to wait. Please forgive us for leaning on our own understanding. Help us to actively trust You this week. Renew our strength so that we can walk and not faint. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”