Knowin God - Isaiah 30:18

(from pastor)

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you ...

Blessed are those who wait for him.

Isaiah 30:18

 

There are two meanings for "wait" in this passage.

 

The first "wait" often comes with a desperate cry: We have wants. We have needs. We have hurts. We crave immediate help. Why does the Lord "wait"? The second "wait" is very different. It is like being a fine "waiter" in a fine restaurant. The waiter's whole goal is to attend to and serve. The point of this whole passage, therefore, is: "Sometimes God waits until we wait -- until we attend to and serve."

 

Now, I don't recommend that you feed that line to friend in a crisis who's waiting, hoping, pleading for God to act. Rather it's one of those thoughts that's best to contemplate on a saner day; indeed, it's one of those truths that may just prepare us for a harder day.

 

So what does ... "wait for [God]" mean for you today?

 

Here's what it means right now for me. One of my favorite newer songs has this refrain, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord." Next time I hear that song, I'm going to imagine that it's a call for me to be a waiter in a fine restaurant. My number one job today is to attend to God like he's my only guest at my only table. I don't want to constantly butt in and be a nuisance to him -- ever had a waiter like that? -- rather, I want to quietly wait ... and lovingly sense ... and faithfully attend to the King's every need.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants a big tip

(Jesus said, "Whoever is faithful in a very little, 

is faithful also in much ..." Luke 16:5-15)