Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

I’m in trouble when I read Isaiah devotionally, because there are so many rich passages that really speak to me! However, today I choose to restrain myself to this verse. The image is a very touching one. In those days, a monarch stood for no one; everyone stood or bowed in his presence. Yet here, the King of kings rises from His throne to show compassion (or mercy) to His people, who have gotten themselves into a terrible fix by their rebellion against Him. It says He’s just waiting (longs) to be gracious to His people! This is not the image most people of the day had of God, or of any god. This verse reaffirms that the Lord is a God of justice, in contrast to all the capricious gods of the nations around them at that time, and in contrast to “blind fate” or “evolution” that so many people today believe in. That makes the last line of this verse all the more true: “Blessed are all who wait in hope for Him.” (Japanese has an expression that is translated as “wait in hope” or “wait expectantly” that captures this thought perfectly.)

This is a truth I try to get across to people, with varying success. For many, it seems too good to be true, so they can’t believe it. This has been a problem through the ages; even Jesus encountered it. We set up straw “gods” in our minds, and then hate or fear them, instead of believing what the Bible says about the Creator of the universe. Even though I have been immersed in the Bible since infancy, I still do it at times myself. God is indeed perfectly holy and totally powerful, which makes Him very scary to weak, unholy mankind, but He is also love itself, and that is the side of Him that comes out again and again in Isaiah, including this verse. I am to remember and to proclaim both His holiness and His love, not excusing sin but calling people to repentance, because God has provided atonement through the blood of His Son.

Father, Your grace is so incredible that so many have trouble accepting it. I ask for the anointing of Your Spirit so that more and more would receive, repent, and believe Your Word that I proclaim to them, for a massive harvest in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!