Strength for Today

In case you forgot, we are in a summer series on what the Bible teaches us on how to be happy by being blessed by God.

We've got two more lessons to finish the summer out today and next week and then we will have something else, but right now it's time for Pastor Jim's life nuggets of wisdom for today.

If your eyes hurt after drinking a cup of coffee cup of coffee, hang on.

Doesn't have my slides, okay, never mind.

Have the sermon slides?

Okay, they're working on it.

This summer we've been studying the blessed is the one phrases and statements in the Bible.

They are, as I said before, god's invitations to enjoy his blessings in life when we follow his wisdom.

This week, we're going to look at a blessing that brings us really great delight if we do it, but is one of the most difficult to apply, and it is the blessing of waiting on the Lord.

One place we find this and if you want to turn there in your Bible, it's Isaiah, chapter 30.

Isaiah 30 · chapter mention

Isaiah, chapter 30, one verse we're going to really zero in on today Isaiah 30, verse 18.

Isaiah 30 · chapter mention Isaiah 30:18

Therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you, for the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are those who wait for him.

And, like all good Bible study, it's important that we look at this verse in context, not just pull it out.

So what's what I'm going to do?

First, we'll look at the context of waiting on the Lord, we'll look at our conflict with waiting on the Lord and finally, we'll look at how to cultivate waiting on the Lord.

First, let's consider the context of this passage.

There are three main things going on in this passage that prompt God's invitation to his blessing.

First, the people of Israel are in trouble and find themselves under the Lord's discipline for their disobedience.

They are anxious and fearful of a growing threat of invasion by Assyria and are turning to Egypt to help them.

Now, I had these verses on the PowerPoint, but you're just going to have to listen closely or write them down in your notes.

Isaiah 30, verses 1 and 2 describes this context.

Isaiah 30:1

God says describes this context.

God says Woe to the rebellious children, declares the Lord, who proceed down to Egypt without consulting me to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.

They're also facing hard economic times and finding it hard to even make a living.

Isaiah 30, verse 20,.

Isaiah 30:20

The Lord has given you the bread of privation and the water of oppression.

Very difficult times.

There's trouble in Israel.

That's the main part of the context in Isaiah 30.

Second, in Isaiah 30, god, the second thing in the context.

They decided to stop listening to God's counsel from his word through the prophet.

Isaiah 30, verse 9,.

Isaiah 30:9

For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord.

So, first, the people are suffering a lot of trouble.

Second, god tells them they've stopped listening to his word and instead, third, they're seeking their own ways to salvage their prosperity in life.

Isaiah 30, verses 1 and 2.

Isaiah 30:1

Woe to the rebellious children, declares the Lord, who execute a plan but not mine.

They make an alliance, but not by my spirit, in order to add sin to sin.

They go down to Egypt without consulting me, to make refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.

They're not praying.

They're trying to hire mercenaries to protect them from this invading army, instead of trusting the Lord, instead of waiting on him.

This is tied into this blessing of waiting on the Lord.

One reason they're under the Lord's discipline is because they've been also oppressing others to get what they need in desperation.

Isaiah 30, 12 and 13,.

Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel, since you've rejected this word to put your trust in oppression and guile, in other words, taking advantage of other people and have relied on them.

All this, the context prompts God to say three things to them.

One the reason you have all this trouble is because you've rejected my word.

Second, god tells them stop sinning, repent and return to him.

Three, god tells them he's waiting to be gracious to them if they will wait for him instead of relying on themselves.

If they do that, they will be blessed.

That's the context of Isaiah 30.

Much trouble.

They're under the Lord's discipline.

They've stopped listening to his word.

They're doing their own thing and God says if you wait on me, I will bless you, you'll have a little taste of heaven.

You'll know it's me.

But they so far refuse.

That's the context.

The second lesson about this blessing we'll talk about is our conflict with waiting for the Lord.

We'll talk about is our conflict with waiting for the Lord.

The context of verse 18 explains why it's so difficult for us to enjoy God's blessing, and the reason is we don't like to wait.

I get impatient for my toast to pop up.

I get impatient in slow traffic.

I don't like to wait.

We don't like to wait really for anything, especially God, you know why?

Because he's slow.

He's slow we pray and he doesn't answer when we want him to.

And when he doesn't answer we think, well, you've forgotten me, you don't care about me.

I need an answer.

That's why we need to burn this blessing and invitation into our mind.

God's invitation promises to let us experience a little taste of heavenly bliss if we're willing to wait.

Wait for him instead of taking matters into our own hands.

Blessed are all those who wait for him.

What's interesting about this verse 18 is there's another one of these Hebrew play on words.

Some of the English translations, like the NASB which I use, really don't do it justice.

The NASB, for one, says therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you.

But the ESV gets verse 18 right.

It says therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice and blessed are all those who wait for him.

The word wait is mentioned twice.

It's the same Hebrew word.

First God says I'm waiting for you.

And then he said we're blessed if we in turn wait for him.

What's God waiting for?

If you look at the context, he's waiting for us to repent and return to him.

Isaiah 30, verse 15,.

Isaiah 30:15

For thus says the Lord.

The Holy One of Israel has said In repentance and rest you'll be saved.

In quietness and trust is your strength.

He's waiting for us to stop relying on our own ways of doing things and trust him to provide.

What are we waiting on God for?

In their case?

I think I pick up this sense that they're waiting for justice, for God to make things right for them.

This invading army has no right to be in their land and they're waiting for God, but so far he hasn't moved, and it comes out in what the Lord responds to them in verse 18.

The Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are those who wait for him.

The reason it's so hard for us to wait on the Lord is because we think God should agree with our when things should happen.

Trouble is, we're not taking into account the biblical truths about God.

He is a God of justice and he will make things right, but God doesn't operate on our timetable.

God isn't slow.

The scriptures tell us.

You know what he is he's patient, he's long-suffering and he's usually waiting for us to be gracious to us.

2 Peter 3.9.

In the New Testament, peter says the Lord's not slow about his promise as some count slowness.

He's patient toward you, probably for a number of reasons, but one of them is not wishing for any person to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

His foremost priority in our lives is to make sure our relationship is right with him.

I believe that's ultimately what he's waiting for in order to bless us.

And God's timing for everything is perfect.

Ecclesiastes 3.11,.

He's made everything beautiful in its time.

Well, that brings us to the last lesson of waiting on the Lord.

How do we do it?

We have a hard time doing it because we're so impatient.

How do we cultivate the practice of waiting on the Lord?

First, as this passage instructs us, as I said just a minute ago, the Lord is waiting on us for something.

He's waiting for us to return to him if we need to.

What do we need to do to return to the Lord?

Well, my suggestion is begin by asking ourselves some questions.

Is there any sin that we need to confess?

Is there a practice that we need to repent of.

Is there any doubt or unbelief that we need to confess and admit to God?

Is our heart not fully surrendered to the Lord?

Start asking ourselves some questions.

Are things right between you and the Lord?

That's ultimately what he's waiting for, and this passage is teaching us that we can't really wait on the Lord if we haven't really returned to the Lord.

That's the point of the passage.

Like the people in Isaiah 30, the Lord may be waiting for us to renew our relationship with him.

But if we've done that, let me suggest several things from Scripture about what it means how to wait on the Lord.

David gives us some helpful hints.

First, david says we must be strong and let our heart take courage.

We're going to wait on the Lord.

Psalm 27, verses 13 and 14,.

Psalms 27:13

David says I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

He's in some trouble situation and then he says wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage.

Yes, wait for the Lord.

He repeats it, but in between those, wait for the Lord.

Wait for the Lord is be strong.

Let your heart take courage.

David said he would have despaired if he hadn't done that.

Well, let me take that a little further.

Being strong means being strong in our faith in the Lord, confident in what we believe, just like Abraham Romans 4.20,.

Yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver, abraham in unbelief, but grew strong in his faith.

Giving glory to God.

Letting our heart take courage means not doubting God when our circumstances challenge our belief, you stay strong.

Instead, we stand firm in the faith, even if we have to die in our faith.

I've known people who've died in their faith, god not having answered their prayers and requests.

They never gave up on the Lord, ever.

They joyfully met death.

How do we do that?

Well, we can be strong in our faith and take courage by placing our complete trust.

This is really important complete trust in the character of God.

That's why, in Isaiah 30, verse 18, he tells us that God is gracious, merciful and just Now.

Isaiah 30:18

Wait on the Lord.

That means he's always going to do what's right.

Psalm 11, 7,.

For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds.

The upright shall behold his face.

Secondly, god is good.

Nehemiah 1, 7,.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble, and he knows those who take refuge in him, and we know the verse he always works things out for good to those who love him, called according to his purpose, romans 8.28.

God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, and his timing is perfect.

One place you see that 1 Timothy 2, 5 and 6, paul says For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

So first, if you want to know how do we get the faith and courage to wait on the Lord, focus on the character of God, he's gracious, merciful, righteous, good, perfect.

Second way we can is by completely trusting the word of God and his promises.

The psalmist in Psalm 130, verse 5, says I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I hope.

Psalms 130:5

That was the anchor.

This is what God said.

Now I'm going to wait, trusting his promise, trusting what he said.

Or again, abraham, romans 4, 20, 21.

Yet with respect to the promise of God, he, abraham, did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in his faith, giving glory to God.

How did he do that?

Because he was fully assured that what God had promised.

He was able also to do.

So two things focusing on the character of God, who he is, and the word and promises of God are two very important things we need to do in order to understand and take courage and be strong in our faith to wait on the Lord.

Isaiah 49, 23,.

God says those who hopefully wait for me will not be put to shame.

In fact, isaiah goes on later and marvels.

He marvels at God's willingness to act on our behalf and on behalf of those who wait for him.

In Isaiah 64, verse 4, he says From the days of old, they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you who acts in behalf of the one who waits for him.

Isaiah 64:4

So what's the blessing we receive by waiting on the Lord?

What's a little joy of heaven?

Well, it's very similar to the one blessing we looked at last week.

The blessing of waiting on the Lord is about finding our strength in the Lord to meet any of life's challenges we'll face.

And in the same book, god shows us what that means in Isaiah, chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

If you want to look at it, you could turn there and read this Isaiah 40.

I'm sorry it's not on the PowerPoint.

I don't know what happened.

Isaiah 40, verse 28 to 31.

Isaiah 40:28–31

Isaiah 40, verse 28 to 31.

Isaiah 40:28–31

Isaiah says Do you not know?

Have you not heard the everlasting God?

The Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable.

He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might.

He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, and they will walk and not become weary.

Notice that God begins by reminding us who he is.

No-transcript.

Our faith in him needs to be strong if we're going to take courage and wait on him.

And God gives his strength to those who wait on him.

I love this.

I love this analogy, this picture we see in Isaiah 40.

The picture God gives us is the eagle's strength, and I had a really nice picture of the eagle in my PowerPoint.

Okay, he's upside down, but I was assuming I could see it there.

But okay, okay, just picture him like this.

Wow, okay, tough day, real tough day today.

Okay, eagles, most birds fly on their own strength and energy, flapping their wings all over, getting lift the air under their wings all over getting lift the air under their wings.

However, eagles don't fly like ordinary birds.

They don't start flapping around their own strength.

To stay airborne, eagles spread their wings and rest in what God has already provided for them air currents up above and they just soar.

They soar Relying on what God provided.

God says that if we wait on him, stop flapping your wings.

He'll give us the strength we need at the time we need it.

What's interesting about this passage to me is always interesting.

Sometimes God gives us tremendous strength to soar above everything, effortlessly.

We just sense his presence is carrying us through.

But you know, sometimes he just gives us enough strength to run.

We're not in the air, we're on the ground, we're running, and he gives us strength to do that.

But sometimes life can be this difficult.

You know what he does.

He'll give you the strength.

I'll just give you the strength right now.

Take the next step to walk and not be weary.

We're not going to soar all the time.

What he promises, I'll give you the strength you need.

Sometimes you're going to soar, sometimes you're going to run, sometimes I'm going to give you strength just to take the next step.

Listen to the Apostle Paul's testimony in his time of need In 2 Timothy 4, 14-17,.

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm.

The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

You know why?

Because Paul knew he's the God of justice.

He's the God of justice.

Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.

You know, at my first defense, no one supported me.

All deserted me.

May it not be counted against them.

You know what, though?

The Lord stood with me and strengthened me.

Maybe it was just to take the next step.

You'd been beaten, been deserted.

It was tough, but the Lord stood by me.

He took the next step, me, he took the next step.

There's no better feeling than to know the Lord is doing that for you.

That's what I'm talking about A little bliss of heaven, a little taste of heavenly happiness.

Now, when we wait on the Lord, as this passage has told us, he will give us the strength we need.

Blessed are those who wait on him.

Now I'd like to give you a little something to remind you to wait on the Lord, and, if you indulge me for just a minute, I'd like you to practice something.

Just go with me, okay, trust me.

Trust me, I'm your pastor, okay, so I'd like you to all lift your arms like this, and I'm watching to see who doesn't.

Okay, there we go, come on.

All right, when you need the Lord's help, I want you to lift your arms like this, and if people come up to you and say what are you doing, you say I'm waiting on the Lord, just like the eagle.

Okay, therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

The Lord's a God of justice.

Blessed are all those who wait for him.

I marvel at this too.

These two words in this passage mercy and justice.

Don't miss this.

The Lord is waiting to be gracious and merciful to us, and you know why?

Because he can do that, because he's a God of justice.

God satisfied his justice for our sin and disobedience when he sent his son Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sins once and for all.

1 Peter nails it.

He says, for Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, because God's justice has been satisfied by Jesus, god's justice satisfied for us by Jesus.

God is now willing to extend his mercy and grace of salvation toward us when we believe in Jesus, the Messiah, our Savior.

And if you've never received God's mercy and grace, god is waiting for you to be gracious to you.

If you'll turn to him, repent and believe in Jesus to save you, he'll give you.

Give you the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Let's pray, father.

Thank you that in Jesus' death, you demonstrated your divine justice and your divine mercy, for you satisfied the penalty for our sin, so that we could experience your love personally for us in Jesus.

Would you please, father, forgive us for our unwillingness to wait on you.

Help us to be strong in our faith in you because of who you are.

Let our heart take courage and wait on you, the living God, and your promises, when we need help and strength to go forward.

I pray all this today in Jesus' name, amen.