Good morning,
Have
you ever wondered why it takes God so long to get the important things
in our lives taken care the way we think he should? The people in
Isaiah’s day were very concerned that things in their world seemed to be
going from bad to worse even though they kept offering their sacrifices
and keeping his holy days. The people of Israel were quite certain
that God was falling short on taking care of his special people. It
seemed like the only reasonable thing to do, was to do what was working
for the folks around them who had become rich and powerful. Their fear
levels kept getting higher and higher as their country kept sliding into
trouble, pain and stupid decisions. God told Isaiah to tell them, “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” (Is.30:15)
Their problem with their God was what they wanted was success and
plenty. They wanted action now! God reminded them that what was needed
was not more action from him. He was not about to take action on their
behalf until they had learned the lessons of waiting on his plan and
and following his time line for their lives. God reminded them that
they had come to the place where they actually wanted nothing to do with
his way of life.
So in verse 18 God made it clear that they
could not expect anything from him until they had learned the lessons of
waiting on him as a way of life. They were the ones who were holding up
God’s love and compassion. Then, as now, the religious people lived
with the idea that God owed them something for what they were doing for
him. They saw God as their helper and servant and expected him to carry
our their plans even if they weren’t always on their best behavior.
The fact that their hearts were centered on their own success never
seemed to be an important issue to them. God was there to perform. God
was required to keep his promises. If God really was who he said he
was, he had better get going and take care of their enemies and their
problems so that they could get on with life! What they didn’t
understand was that God wasn’t at all worried about his reputation. The
God of the Bible is always faithful. God would be glad to bless them,
but only on his terms. What God was waiting for was their willingness
to follow his directions and have hearts that were committed to being
his servants. If they would wait on him, then and only then would they
find him faithful. Dear Lord, please help us to see ourselves more and
more like you see us.
Isaiah 30: 18 So the Lord must
wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Roy Wisner
