Encouragement

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Matthew Henry’s commentary on Isa30:1-18 says,
'The Jews were the only professing people God then had in the world, yet many among them were rebellious. They had the light, but they loved darkness rather. The prophets checked them in their sinful pursuits, so that they could not proceed without fear; this they took amiss. But faithful ministers will not be driven from seeking to awaken sinners. God is the Holy One of Israel, and so they shall find him. They did not like to hear of his holy commandments and his hatred of sin; they desired that they might no more be reminded of these things. But as they despised the word of God, their sins undermined their safety. Their state would be dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel. Let us return from our evil ways, and settle in the way of duty; that is the way to be saved. Would we be strengthened, it must be in quietness and in confidence, keeping peace in our own minds, and relying upon God. They think themselves wiser than God; but the project by which they thought to save themselves was their ruin. Only here and there one shall escape, as a warning to others. If men will not repent, turn to God, and seek happiness in his favour and service, their desires will but hasten their ruin. Those who make God alone their confidence, will have comfort. God ever waits to be gracious to all that come to him by faith in Christ, and happy are those who wait for him.'

18And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! Isa30:18Amp
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. NKJV

A friend gave me this scripture and advised me to look it up in the amplified guaranteeing that it would be a great blessing. I checked it out and found it mind-blowing, too good to be true. Then I started thinking and meditating about it. Is it true that God is not just desirous to favour me but eagerly waiting, looking for an opportunity to do so? Or am I taking it out of context? Can it and does it apply to me?
I slept over it and when I woke up, it was the first thought that came to my mind so I decided to look up the scripture in Matthew Henry’s commentary. I discovered he had an exposition on verses1-18 and ending on the same note:
“Those who make God alone their confidence, will have comfort. God ever waits to be gracious to all that come to him by faith in Christ, and happy are those who wait for him.”

But he was commenting about the Jews, and I am not a Jew. I then began to look at his commentary closely. He was talking about ‘..the only professing people God then had in the world..’ Then I thought, ‘God has not changed. He said I am the Lord I change not. It follows that if that was His thought towards His people in those days it is the same for His people today.’Mal3:6, Heb.13:8
I searched the scriptures further to see why God would be waiting, enthusiastic about favouring me and I found the following:
• God describes Himself as the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, extraordinarily patient and abundant in goodness and in truth. (Ex34:6)
• I am told in that His love for me is an everlasting love, unconditional love great love. As high as the heaven is above the earth so great is His love towards those who love Him. No good thing will He withhold from those whose walk uprightly.(Ps103:11-12, Ps103:17, Jer31:3,Ps84:11)
• I was reminded that if He did not spare Jesus but delivered Him up for us, how will He not, with Him also freely give me all things. (Rom8:32)
• Again if I abide in Him and His word abides in me I shall ask what will and it shall be done unto me. (John15:7-8)
• For eye has not seen ear has not heard neither has it entered the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. My thought towards you are not thought of evil but thoughts of good to give you a future filled with hope.(1Cor2:9, Jer29:11)

Apart from these promises that confirmed Isa30:18, I also thought, ‘But Why?’
This was the thought that came to me:
When the favour of God is upon you, you shine in the darkness of life. You become a well watered garden, a city on a hill, a cause for celebration and giving glory to God. When God smiles on you, you have strength even in weakness, because His strength becomes your strength; you become a worthy ambassador, His hands and His feet. He thinks His thoughts through you and moves through you so that His name is glorified. You live for His purpose and delight His heart.

But why is there this expectation gap between my experience in certain areas and the mind of God?
This was my next quest. Looking through the scripture in Isa 30:18 I found that although it is true that God has favoured me by sending Jesus, and is waiting to make that favour manifest itself in all the areas of my life, I have to be in a position to receive it and I have to be expectant.
Being in a position to receive it means waking in obedience, uprightly, living in devotion to Him, delighting in His presence and acknowledging His pre-eminence.
Being expectant means having confidence in His integrity, faithfulness, goodness, love, steadfastness; coming to Him in faith, believing that He who promised is able and willing to perform what He said and refusing to cast away that confidence regardless of what I see in the natural.


Finally let’s see God in the true light. In His light we see light. Let’s disabuse our minds of that false image of God as a celestial bouncer waiting with a big stick to see someone get out of line and pounce on them. The Lord is good, gracious, merciful, bounteous in love
He is waiting, eager, gathering strength, making Himself strong in our behalf; longing, looking enthusiastically for an opportunity, a room, a door, a window, an opening, chance to be gracious to us, show us His favour.
Would you let Him? Would I let Him? Would you and I put ourselves in a position where He would do it?
He wants His name to be glorified, lifted up as people see how the rejected forgotten, the given-up –to –die, is resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit. Many will see; many will fear; and many would put their trust in the Lord, proclaiming ‘The Lord He is God and He is good. There is no God who can deliver like this.’ Giving you favour gives Him pleasure, joy, delight and a sense of fulfilment.
He also wants to do it so that we will be blessed, happy, regarded fortunate, envied by those who knew us before His favour came pouring upon us.

He also wants to show us His mercy, loving-kindness to show that He is a God of justice. He is upright and there is no injustice in Him.
We may have been regarded out-casts but the time to favour us has come.

We also have to be expectant to receive it We must wait for it longingly, with eagerness, sincerity, faithfully, not doubting his goodness, faithfulness, integrity, ability. We cannot be passive about; and as sure as day follows night His favour shall rest mightily upon us.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.Ps102:13
"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory

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