A Worthwhile Wait
The Lord longs to be gracious to you . . . . Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18
READ Isaiah 30:15–19
Stuck in a stressful job with long hours and
an unreasonable boss, James wished he could quit. But he had a
mortgage, a wife, and a young child to take care of. He was tempted to
resign anyway, but his wife reminded him: “Let’s hang on and see what
God will give us.”
Many months later, their prayers were answered. James found a new job
that he enjoyed and gave him more time with the family. “Those months
were long,” he told me, “but I’m glad I waited for God’s plan to unfold
in His time.”
Waiting for God’s help in the midst of trouble is hard; it can be
tempting to try to find our own solution first. The Israelites did just
that: under threat from their enemies, they sought help from Egypt
instead of turning to God (Isaiah 30:2). But God told them that if they
would repent and put their trust in Him, they would find strength and
salvation (v. 15). In fact, He added, “the Lord longs to be gracious to you” (v. 18).
Waiting for God takes faith and patience. But when we see His answer
at the end of it all, we’ll realize it was worth it: “Blessed are all
who wait for him!” (v. 18). And what’s even more amazing, God is waiting
for us to come to Him!
By Leslie Koh |
What prayer request has you waiting on God? How can you meditate on His faithfulness as you seek His answer?
Father, give me the patience to wait for
Your answer. I know You’re a good and loving God whose timing and will
are always perfect.
Learn more about waiting. | | | | |
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Isaiah 30 contains themes of both judgment
and restoration for God’s people and judgment for the nations who
oppressed them. The chapter can be broken down into three parts. Verses
1–18 note a warning and dangers for Judah who created an alliance with
Egypt without consulting God (vv. 1–2). In verses 6 and 7, we see the
envoys from Judah traveling through a dangerous land to take their
“riches” and “treasures” to Egypt, which the Egyptians required in
payment for military help. However, Isaiah warned that Egypt wouldn’t
help as they claimed they would. The middle portion of the chapter,
verses 19–26, provides a glimmer of hope, saying that the people of Zion
in Jerusalem (v. 19) would one day be healed and blessed; their land,
in particular, would be fruitful (vv. 23–25). However, the chapter ends
on a solemn note, proclaiming judgment on Assyria (v. 31).
Julie Schwab
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