Monday, August 11, 2014

Monday Thought -- August 11, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’ You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 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!” (Isaiah 30:15-16,18)

God patiently waits for people (including you and me) to turn to Him and trust Him. He pursues us with love, longing to see us stop and come to Him.

But we are so self-sufficient and independent. We can take care of ourselves. We can do what needs to be done. We can make it on our own. We have devised everything we think we need to succeed, protect ourselves, deal with our problems. “We will flee on horses.” That speaks of taking matters into our own hands and believing we can take care of ourselves.

But God is there waiting. He “longs to be gracious.” It is in His heart to save us, protect us, help us. But He will not force us to turn to Him. He’ll let us pursue our own devises as long as we will, all the while waiting with what we so desperately need.

Of course, that relates to those who do not know God, who run from Him, instead of turning to Him. But it relates to those of us who know Him, too. Time and again, even though we ought to know better, we rely upon ourselves. How foolish! How much pain we bear because of our foolishness.

And God waits patiently for us to turn to Him, longing to help us and show us His grace.

His, by Grace,


Steve

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