The Season Arc
You’ve been waiting for this.
All of preseason, all of training camp, all of the early mornings and the film sessions and the days when it felt like the games were never going to get here — this is what you were waiting for.
It’s here.
Read this passage slowly.
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31 — NIVLet that sit for a second before you move.
The word translated “hope” in Isaiah 40 is the Hebrew word “qavah” — and it doesn’t primarily mean wishful thinking. It means to wait with expectation. To be taut, like a rope under tension. Ready.
The waiting wasn’t passive. The waiting was preparation. And what comes after the waiting is strength — renewed, restored, ready to go.
You did the waiting. You did the preparation. Now comes the part where that investment pays out.
This verse promises three things: soaring, running without growing weary, walking without fainting. Notice the order. It goes from the most dramatic to the most ordinary. Soaring is the highlight. Running is the game. Walking is the long season. All three matter.
Today is the soaring part. Go do it.
The waiting wasn’t passive. It was preparation.
One word that describes how you feel walking into this first game. Say it out loud.
Go around the room quickly. One word each. No elaboration needed. It builds energy and presence.
The wait is over. Go soar.
This is the shortest devotional in the topic for a reason. It’s designed for pre-game. Five to eight minutes maximum. The room needs to compete.
The one-word round is intentionally energizing. Don’t skip it. It gets people present and connected right before they go out.