Isaiah 30:18 – Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

God’s justice demanded that the Assyrian oppressors be punished. God’s gracious character and His mercy are balanced; they interact with His justice and the fact that He will be exalted. Though the people had turned from the Lord, He wanted to be gracious and compassionate to them because they were in a covenant relationship with Him. He is equally the God of justice, giving blessings to those who depend on Him. God is patient with you and waits for you to learn the lessons needed from the choices you make. It has wisely been said that “God waits until the disaster of our choice has taught us the foolishness of that choice.”

Challenge:

What kind of lessons have you been learning over the years in your relationship with God? How has He taught you to trust Him with your possessions and to depend on Him to always be there for you? Everyone today is in such a hurry to get things accomplished that we have become accustomed to moving forward without asking for the Lords will first. Your challenge for this week is to wait patiently on God until He gives you clear direction. Don’t just go through the motions of your day, consciously look for what Jesus has for you in order to make each day significant. When you are stuck in traffic, put your phone down and look around you. Perhaps God wants to show you someone to pray for or something that will inspire you personally. Take a different route home from work or school and see if God gives you a fresh perspective just by changing up your routine. God is waiting to bless you in such a way that you will be a blessing to others. May you be blessed.