Isaiah 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Human beings are born with very little, if any, patience. A baby wants what they want NOW. Acquiring patience is a major part of the process of maturing, and psychologists call it “tolerance for delayed gratification.” However, this is not the same thing as resignation or despair, giving up on something. This is where maturity is intertwined with faith. However, in our weakness and immaturity it’s easy to fall into the attitude expressed in this verse, feeling like God has forgotten us and He isn’t going to come through with what we need, or think we do. That is actually a major trap of the devil. God is true to His Word, period. That’s why the last verse of this chapter is so justly famous. Waiting expectantly on God is the key not only to receiving what we need, it is the key to spiritual growth, intimacy with God, and more spiritual riches than we could possibly imagine. Trusting God to be God, and remembering that He is love itself, frees us from all the weight of anxiety that we are so quick to take on ourselves. It does take faith to trust Him when we don’t see the answer ourselves, but He will provide the faith if that is our choice.

This is spot-on for me and for essentially everyone in this church! We see problems right in front of us and we are called on to trust God with them, specifically because we ourselves don’t see how they are to be resolved. Turning verse 31 around, failing to trust God results in falling to the ground, exhausted, passing out from the stress of it all! That of course is the aim of the enemy of our souls, and we are taught to stand firm in resisting him, so that he may flee from us. (James 4:7) I was reminding someone just yesterday that God is God and He loves us, but I must not forget it myself! It is indeed heartbreaking when people we love fall for the lies of the enemy, but the answer is not “fixing” the situation ourselves, but rather letting God do it, making ourselves available for whatever He wants to do in and through us toward that end. I’ve got to remember that I don’t have the answer in myself, and especially that I’m not the answer, but that God always has the perfect answer, and wait expectantly for Him.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder this morning. Help me remember it through the day, each day. Anxiety robs me of peace, health, and other things. Help me trust You even with things that I know break Your heart as well as mine, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!