Hardships Bend our Knees in Trust to God

“The Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. Happy are all who wait patiently for Him” Isaiah 30:18 CSB

I purchased a new Bible the other day called the Apologetics Study Bible published by B&H and I love it! The translation is an easy read and the footnotes are great. For this verse the notes read:

“The prophet clearly indicated that Judah was sinful in relying on Egypt (30:15) and in rejecting God’s message to them (30:12-14). In view of this, it did not seem “just” for the Lord to have compassion on these sinful people (30:18).God’s justice in the OT, is not an abstraction, but an aspect of His covenant with His people. First, the nation will experience God’s judgment through the attack of the Assyrians, pictured as the collapse of a wall and the shattering of a jar (30:13-14). But once the people had suffered the consequences of their lack of faith, the Lord would “show you mercy” because the covenant grounded not in their obedience, but in His grace, still stood.”

Judah was a sinful nation. The beginning of Isaiah 30 reads: “Woe to the rebellious child!” Do you know any rebellious children? Were you one yourself in your earlier years or now maybe?

The scripture continues: “This is the Lord’s declaration. They carry out a plan but not Mine, they make an alliance but against My will, piling sin on top of sin.”

How many times do we set out our own plans knowing it is not really what God would have us do? How many times do we follow after our own lusts, our own greed, our own desires, and then wonder why we go through such turmoil when our plans fail? Every time we do something against the will of God, it will sooner or later fail; and hardships will follow. But during the hardships, if we watch closely, we will see that there is a lesson for us to learn.

It seems lately, many of us are experiencing more than our share of hardships. No sooner does the end appear for one; another hits and there we are back on our knees again. In all, I am certain that God is trying to teach us trust. Not trust in ourselves but trust in Him. He alone holds the keys to tomorrow. Without Him tomorrow never comes. He is the one who knows the best plan for our lives. No matter how clear we think we can see into the future, there will always be a blur. The Bible states we will not know the hour in which He will return, with that being true, how can we expect to know what tomorrow will bring? When we plop on our chariots and decide it’s time to take matters in our own hands, who are we trying to kid? We are not in control.

I have been working on a situation for about a year and a half now. I remember pulling up to a store, ready to buy something I thought I needed In order to help it happen, and on a bumper of a vehicle in the parking lot was a sticker that read, “Wait on the Lord.” Even though I saw it, I proceeded to do my own thing. Needless to say, my situation has not turned out the way I had hoped it would, and my efforts have brought much heartache. So now, finally, I am surrendering. I give up trying to do it on my own. If it is in His will, it will be. By His grace and mercy, I know He has forgiven me, and by His love He knows what’s best. I am waiting for His best.

Over and over scripture states that God is a merciful and gracious God. He cares about His people and wants the best for them. It also says that we have a choice whether to accept Him and adopt into His family or not. He never forces Himself on anyone. Revelation 3 says: He stands at the door and knocks; it doesn’t say He beats the door down. He is a gentle God. He is a loving God.

As I read the first scripture, I see that our Covenant as Christians is very much the same as in the OT. As many are, I am saved by the Grace of my Lord Jesus and His bloodshed on the cross. His sacrifice gives me remission of my sins and with that, the Word of God states that nothing can pluck me out of His hand. By Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary and in His Resurrection from the tomb, He now sits at the right hand of His Heavenly Father, forever praying for you and me. As we accept and believe in these truths, we enter into a covenant with Him, and therefore, along with justice, He also shows us much mercy and grace.
Thank God, every time I mess up and fess up, He loves, and forgives me. He understands my weaknesses, and loves me anyway. He knows my desires, He knows my needs. He doesn’t need me to intervene in order to get the job done. He knows what’s best for me and is faithful to give me just that! My job is to trust Him.