Today’s Reading: Isaiah 29–30, Psalm 71

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore me to even greater honor
and comfort me once again. – Psalm 71:19-21

Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, it is good to trust in what God is about to do. Consider what it must have been like for the follower of Jesus the day after His crucifixion. He had told them He would be back, that He would rise from the dead, but they did not understand. Their emotions were mixed with sorrow and fear. Some, like Peter, must have felt strong regret over their lack of faith in the difficulties of the day before. This day between the crucifixion and the resurrection, the period of waiting to see what God will do next, waiting for God’s help. Have you been in this place before – in this time in between your request and God’s response?

ARE YOU, EVEN NOW, WAITING TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO NEXT?

In Isaiah, we see the Israelites in a similar holding pattern. They knew God was upset with them for their consistent flopping between faithfulness and fickleness. They knew they were about to experience the consequences of their generational unfaithfulness. They could look back and see the many ways in which God had rescued them and they could look forward to the coming destruction the prophets were describing. In the meantime, in the TIME IN BETWEEN, they waited for God’s help.

In their impatience, God’s people looked again to their enemies for rescue instead of looking to their God. But these enemies were receiving their own message from the prophets foretelling the wrath of God they were about to experience. Because they chose to battle God’s people, destruction and punishment would be in their future. Yet Israel foolishly looked to Egypt for rescue, begging them for a supply of horses for their army (2 Kings 18:24). But God desired for them to call upon His name and look to Him for help in the midst of trouble.

RETURN TO THE LORD, LOOK TO HIM FOR HELP, AND REST IN HIM.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“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.
You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses riding into battle.’…

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. – Isaiah 30:15-16a, 18

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO WAIT FOR HIS HELP!

How often do I get so impatient waiting on God that I try to make things happen through another source or by my own strength? I need to stop reaching out to “Egypt” and come to God with a willingness to wait for his help…in his time…his way.

He will be gracious if you ASK for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink,
He will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them “Good riddance!” – Isaiah 30:19-22

It is time to throw out my plans and my idols — all of the things in my life that I have made more important than waiting on God. It’s time to throw them out and say, “Good riddance! I choose God!”

Lord, I come to you for protection; save me and rescue me. Turn your ear to listen to me and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide, for you are my rock and my fortress. You alone are my hope and I trust in you. From my mother’s womb you have cared for me so I choose to praise you always — in every circumstance. My enemies jump in to take advantage of my weak moments, but I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. I choose to constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do for me.

WHO CAN COMPARE TO YOU, O GOD?

O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!
My life is an example to many,
because you have been my strength and protection.
That is why I can never stop praising you;
I declare your glory all day long. – Psalm 71:5-8