1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,050 Speaker 1: daily Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:17,090 --> 00:00:20,470 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:21,130 --> 00:00:24,869 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jessica Fenrocal, and after this short word 5 00:00:24,910 --> 00:00:29,550 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Isaiah 6 00:00:29,570 --> 00:00:46,599 Speaker 1: chapter 30, verse 18. Today's Bible verse is Isaiah chapter 30, 7 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:51,540 Speaker 1: verse 18. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. Therefore, 8 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: he will rise up to show you compassion. For the 9 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,500 Speaker 1: Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who 10 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,110 Speaker 1: wait for him. I love flowers and gardens, visiting them 11 00:01:04,330 --> 00:01:07,390 Speaker 1: that is, but I am not much of a gardener. 12 00:01:07,970 --> 00:01:10,429 Speaker 1: If I plant a garden, the flowers pretty much need 13 00:01:10,450 --> 00:01:14,270 Speaker 1: to be able to survive white-tailed deer, rabbits, and me. 14 00:01:15,069 --> 00:01:18,209 Speaker 1: One flower that seems to thrive despite the odds stacked 15 00:01:18,270 --> 00:01:21,970 Speaker 1: against it is a peony. So last fall, I ordered 16 00:01:22,010 --> 00:01:26,020 Speaker 1: a few plants and anticipated their arrival. When I opened 17 00:01:26,030 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: the box, I saw roots that looked like dead sticks. 18 00:01:30,069 --> 00:01:32,670 Speaker 1: I buried them according to the directions and waited through 19 00:01:32,690 --> 00:01:36,010 Speaker 1: the fall, which eased into the winter, and nothing happened. 20 00:01:36,709 --> 00:01:40,230 Speaker 1: Winter snows and the frigid winds blew across the prairie, 21 00:01:40,690 --> 00:01:44,710 Speaker 1: but all through the months, beneath the surface, roots developed, 22 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:49,370 Speaker 1: and with spring came new growth. Waiting on God can 23 00:01:49,470 --> 00:01:53,450 Speaker 1: feel similar. We read our Bibles, we pray, we trust, 24 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,380 Speaker 1: and we search for evidence that God is doing something. 25 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,610 Speaker 1: But when nothing changes, We can wonder if God is 26 00:02:01,690 --> 00:02:05,010 Speaker 1: at work at all. But today's verse reminds us how 27 00:02:05,090 --> 00:02:10,549 Speaker 1: God's heart yearns toward grace and compassion for us. We 28 00:02:10,590 --> 00:02:17,090 Speaker 1: can split chapter 30 into two sections featuring judgment and salvation. Historically, 29 00:02:17,470 --> 00:02:22,989 Speaker 1: smaller nations sought Egypt's help against Assyria, including the Israelite nation. 30 00:02:24,330 --> 00:02:27,820 Speaker 1: The people rejected God's help and provision. And in the 31 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,810 Speaker 1: first seven verses of chapter 30, God exposes their lack 32 00:02:31,850 --> 00:02:35,309 Speaker 1: of trust and rebukes them for looking to Egypt for 33 00:02:35,370 --> 00:02:40,290 Speaker 1: deliverance instead of to him. Then, Isaiah writes and tells 34 00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:45,339 Speaker 1: us about their rejection of God's message. Verse 10 tells 35 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,940 Speaker 1: it plainly. It says they only wanted to hear what 36 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: they wanted to hear and not what they needed to hear. 37 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,450 Speaker 1: Today's verse, though, brings the people back to blessing. and 38 00:02:55,510 --> 00:02:59,850 Speaker 1: restoration by calling them to trust in God's timing by 39 00:02:59,950 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: waiting for Him. The Lord desires to show mercy and 40 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: favor to His people if only they would express a 41 00:03:08,780 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: sincere desire to know Him and follow Him. The Bible 42 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: shows us this pattern repeatedly. Even when they rejected God, 43 00:03:17,940 --> 00:03:21,829 Speaker 1: He again favored them with His comfort, guidance, and protection 44 00:03:22,630 --> 00:03:26,710 Speaker 1: when His people turned back to Him. I looked up 45 00:03:26,780 --> 00:03:29,950 Speaker 1: the word gracious and its use in the Old Testament, 46 00:03:30,010 --> 00:03:33,470 Speaker 1: and I discovered that it's an adjective applied to Yahweh. 47 00:03:34,389 --> 00:03:39,290 Speaker 1: And it is indicative of his favor, his mercy, his long-suffering, 48 00:03:39,970 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: and his general inclination of favor and kindness. Grace, mercy, 49 00:03:45,470 --> 00:03:51,020 Speaker 1: and gentleness is God's heart. When Isaiah describes God as waiting, 50 00:03:51,780 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: it reveals God's patience toward his willful people. God loves 51 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,740 Speaker 1: deeply and with compassion, and compassion can be described as 52 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:05,900 Speaker 1: seeing a need and taking action. And sometimes that action 53 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,190 Speaker 1: looks like the first half of chapter 30 was all 54 00:04:10,230 --> 00:04:13,810 Speaker 1: about judgment, because that's what was needed to bring the 55 00:04:13,950 --> 00:04:17,969 Speaker 1: Israelites back to God's heart. They would turn away, feel 56 00:04:17,990 --> 00:04:22,909 Speaker 1: the consequences of rejecting God, then repent and receive God's 57 00:04:23,010 --> 00:04:28,250 Speaker 1: gracious welcome once again. The Israelites during Isaiah's time frame 58 00:04:28,589 --> 00:04:32,089 Speaker 1: turned away from trusting God and turned to trusting someone 59 00:04:32,130 --> 00:04:36,390 Speaker 1: else to help them. This led to greater heartache than 60 00:04:36,450 --> 00:04:39,450 Speaker 1: waiting the long wait for God to move on their behalf. 61 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,099 Speaker 1: We can learn from this because we will also wonder 62 00:04:44,180 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: why God waits so long. And this verse reminds us 63 00:04:49,580 --> 00:04:53,349 Speaker 1: he waits because he longs to be gracious to us. 64 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,849 Speaker 1: He pours out His mercy on us so that it 65 00:04:57,010 --> 00:05:02,430 Speaker 1: exalts Him. Sometimes, honestly, we think we can handle a situation, 66 00:05:02,510 --> 00:05:07,860 Speaker 1: so we maneuver people and events in our favor. But 67 00:05:07,940 --> 00:05:13,140 Speaker 1: mercy from God, in His timing, shows us how to 68 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,250 Speaker 1: be loving, generous, and full of mercy ourselves. Trusting His 69 00:05:17,350 --> 00:05:21,529 Speaker 1: timing actually allows room for mercy and grace to have 70 00:05:21,630 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: their way in our lives and for us to experience 71 00:05:24,750 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: God in a fresh, new way. There is a built-in 72 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: blessing for those who wait for Him. Because waiting is 73 00:05:34,020 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: not merely passing the time. Waiting is letting go of 74 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: our demand for immediate rescue and actively trusting God's promise 75 00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:47,620 Speaker 1: to deliver us if we wait for Him. Chapter 30 76 00:05:47,620 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: of Isaiah details how God's people left God for a 77 00:05:52,380 --> 00:05:59,620 Speaker 1: false salvation. Therefore, he longs to be gracious to them 78 00:05:59,740 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: and show them great compassion. Like a peony root planted 79 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 1: in the fall, we cannot sometimes see evidence of growth 80 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:16,100 Speaker 1: in our lives. Waiting can be the same. It doesn't 81 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:21,730 Speaker 1: look like anything good is coming when we feel spiritually dry, lost, 82 00:06:21,850 --> 00:06:25,650 Speaker 1: and we start looking for anything to ease the heartache. 83 00:06:26,550 --> 00:06:30,010 Speaker 1: But in the middle of uncertain times, God is there, 84 00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:35,890 Speaker 1: waiting with you. He longs to show you compassion and mercy. 85 00:06:36,779 --> 00:06:41,180 Speaker 1: So today, will you join me in cultivating childlike simplicity 86 00:06:41,260 --> 00:06:43,900 Speaker 1: to trust in the Lord and to do good while 87 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:48,380 Speaker 1: we wait? I know He has good things in store. 88 00:06:48,580 --> 00:06:51,849 Speaker 1: I know that he sees our heartache. I know that 89 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:57,529 Speaker 1: he sees our hurt, our confusion, our frustration, and he 90 00:06:57,690 --> 00:07:01,669 Speaker 1: is with us in it. So let's turn our face 91 00:07:01,790 --> 00:07:06,810 Speaker 1: toward him and say, God, I know you're waiting with me. 92 00:07:07,330 --> 00:07:12,340 Speaker 1: I'm going to wait with you too. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 93 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,110 Speaker 1: thank you so very much for how you work. move 94 00:07:16,150 --> 00:07:18,930 Speaker 1: in our lives, how you are with us, how you 95 00:07:19,570 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: long to be gracious, how your heart is gentle towards us, 96 00:07:23,660 --> 00:07:28,620 Speaker 1: how you are for us, how you hurt when we hurt. 97 00:07:30,140 --> 00:07:32,730 Speaker 1: So God, we're going to trust you today. We're going 98 00:07:32,790 --> 00:07:37,050 Speaker 1: to look to you for grace and mercy. And Lord, 99 00:07:37,070 --> 00:07:42,150 Speaker 1: we're going to believe that as we stand with arms outstretched, 100 00:07:42,810 --> 00:07:44,770 Speaker 1: eyes filled with faith at you, that you are going 101 00:07:44,790 --> 00:07:47,410 Speaker 1: to pour out your grace and mercy upon us because 102 00:07:47,450 --> 00:07:51,410 Speaker 1: you long to show compassion to us. We praise you 103 00:07:51,530 --> 00:07:55,350 Speaker 1: for how you work in our lives, even when we 104 00:07:55,390 --> 00:07:59,150 Speaker 1: cannot see. We're going to trust that you are with us, 105 00:07:59,330 --> 00:08:03,630 Speaker 1: that you are waiting with us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.