By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” NIV
This statement comes amidst a sharp rebuke by God on His people seeking human help rather than divine help in their troubles. Israel planned to flee on horses and hide in Egypt from their enemies. He told them their confidence in Egypt was worthless. He was angry at them for only thinking of human solutions before consulting Him, being their God. Even in their stubbornness, God’s heart longed to show them grace, compassion and justice.
The fallen human nature tends towards independence from God and will first think about what they can do to remedy their challenges and find solutions. Most people will think about God as the last resort when all else has failed. When everything is fine, little attention is given to Him. When challenges come, they first think of their possessions, abilities and connections to bail them out. This is not bad per se, but becomes a problem when they alienate people from God.
God’s heart longs to be gracious to us. His compassion and justice is experienced by those who wait on Him, having placed their faith in Him. Blessed are those who trust in Him. Even though it doesn’t apparently appear that all is running well with them, the sure foundation of faith in God will truly sustain them through life and its challenges. In the end, they will be happy. God never fails those who look to Him.
Psalm 145:8 “The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”
Shalom children of God