1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:13,550 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello. Thank you for listening to your daily 2 00:00:13,590 --> 00:00:17,300 Speaker 1: Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:20,780 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jennifer Slattery, and after this short word 5 00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Isaiah 30, 18. 6 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,300 Speaker 1: Today's Bible verse is Isaiah 30, 18. Yet the Lord 7 00:00:43,380 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: longs to be gracious to you. Therefore, he will rise 8 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a 9 00:00:49,780 --> 00:00:53,310 Speaker 1: God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him. 10 00:00:54,340 --> 00:00:56,820 Speaker 1: Before I dive into today's verse, I wanted to let 11 00:00:56,860 --> 00:00:59,870 Speaker 1: you know about a free resource I created to help 12 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:04,370 Speaker 1: God's children live more firmly anchored in their true Christ-centered identity. 13 00:01:04,650 --> 00:01:08,110 Speaker 1: It's a Bible reading plan and devotional called Embracing Your 14 00:01:08,170 --> 00:01:12,630 Speaker 1: True Self, Living in Your Christ-Centered Identity. Find it on 15 00:01:12,670 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: the YouVersion app. And now for our discussion on today's verse. 16 00:01:17,620 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: A few years ago, while watching a loved one head 17 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:24,940 Speaker 1: further and further from God, I found myself battling intense 18 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,340 Speaker 1: anxiety related to this person's eternity. What made this even 19 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:32,220 Speaker 1: more challenging was the fact that God had reached out 20 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:37,550 Speaker 1: to them numerous times in undeniable ways, but this person's 21 00:01:37,569 --> 00:01:40,990 Speaker 1: heart remained hard and had even seemed to harden further 22 00:01:41,150 --> 00:01:45,310 Speaker 1: in the time since. Distraught and unable to sleep, one 23 00:01:45,350 --> 00:01:47,790 Speaker 1: night I cried out to God wanting comfort, some kind 24 00:01:47,810 --> 00:01:51,030 Speaker 1: of assurance that would quiet my tumbling thoughts and my 25 00:01:51,090 --> 00:01:54,730 Speaker 1: churning gut. He led me to today's verse and helped 26 00:01:54,750 --> 00:01:59,610 Speaker 1: me see the depth of his long-suffering grace for all humanity, 27 00:02:00,150 --> 00:02:04,190 Speaker 1: my loved one included. God originally spoke these words to 28 00:02:04,210 --> 00:02:07,970 Speaker 1: the ancient Israelites prior to what scholars refer to as 29 00:02:08,150 --> 00:02:12,410 Speaker 1: the Babylonian captivity. At this time, the Assyrians, a ruthless 30 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:16,690 Speaker 1: nation known to use horrific violence to terrorize other people 31 00:02:16,730 --> 00:02:20,290 Speaker 1: groups into submission, would soon capture the people of Judah 32 00:02:20,810 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: and take them captive. In fear, the Jews wanted to 33 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,559 Speaker 1: form an alliance with Egypt, but God told them they 34 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: wouldn't find safety in aligning themselves with another idolatrous nation, 35 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:37,210 Speaker 1: no matter how powerful or well-armed. Their salvation, their deliverance, 36 00:02:37,660 --> 00:02:41,310 Speaker 1: would come when they abandoned their idolatry and wicked ways 37 00:02:41,889 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: and returned to a right relationship with him. That was 38 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,130 Speaker 1: his message in Isaiah 30, verse 15, two verses prior 39 00:02:50,190 --> 00:02:54,990 Speaker 1: to today's, which states, in repentance and rest is your salvation, 40 00:02:55,410 --> 00:03:00,019 Speaker 1: in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would 41 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,180 Speaker 1: have none of it. Instead, as verse 16 states, they 42 00:03:05,220 --> 00:03:08,490 Speaker 1: wanted to flee on horses instead of turning to and 43 00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:11,370 Speaker 1: trusting in the God with the power to save them. 44 00:03:11,630 --> 00:03:14,230 Speaker 1: And we see by God's words recorded in today's verse 45 00:03:14,270 --> 00:03:18,610 Speaker 1: that this grieved his heart. In essence, he was saying, 46 00:03:18,830 --> 00:03:23,030 Speaker 1: though you turn from me, reject me and refuse my care. 47 00:03:23,530 --> 00:03:27,940 Speaker 1: Even so, I eagerly wait until you allow me to 48 00:03:28,060 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: draw you to myself. Like how a parent might when 49 00:03:34,060 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: they know their child is making choices that will lead 50 00:03:36,820 --> 00:03:40,500 Speaker 1: to painful consequences, wanting to redirect them, but the kid 51 00:03:40,620 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: only rebels all the more. Notice scripture says God longed 52 00:03:45,530 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: to be gracious to his people. In the original Hebrew, 53 00:03:48,540 --> 00:03:52,580 Speaker 1: the word our Bibles translate as longed has the connotation 54 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:56,900 Speaker 1: of someone who waits eagerly for someone, similar to how 55 00:03:57,060 --> 00:04:00,210 Speaker 1: the father of the prodigal son kept watch day after 56 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,450 Speaker 1: day for his rebellious son's return, then broke into a 57 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:08,350 Speaker 1: run the moment he saw him on the horizon. That 58 00:04:08,470 --> 00:04:12,970 Speaker 1: is how God waited, with longing for his children, and 59 00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:16,750 Speaker 1: how he waits for us, not to condemn or punish us, 60 00:04:17,140 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: but to show us grace. He longs to show us 61 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,339 Speaker 1: favor we don't deserve. In the original Hebrew, the word 62 00:04:24,380 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: our Bibles translate as gracious has the connotation of one 63 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,050 Speaker 1: who bends or stoops down to an inferior. This makes 64 00:04:32,110 --> 00:04:34,330 Speaker 1: me think of how a parent lowers to their son's 65 00:04:34,410 --> 00:04:38,250 Speaker 1: or daughter's eye level rather than booming at them from 66 00:04:38,290 --> 00:04:42,330 Speaker 1: a distance or from above. And once he sees us 67 00:04:42,490 --> 00:04:46,330 Speaker 1: turning to him, open to his mercy and grace, he 68 00:04:46,550 --> 00:04:50,610 Speaker 1: rises up to show us compassion. This is true when 69 00:04:50,650 --> 00:04:53,730 Speaker 1: we first turn to him for salvation and each time 70 00:04:53,770 --> 00:04:57,570 Speaker 1: we turn to him every day since. He longs for 71 00:04:57,650 --> 00:05:00,169 Speaker 1: us to connect with us, to guide us, and to 72 00:05:00,290 --> 00:05:03,550 Speaker 1: lead us toward his best with the same depth and 73 00:05:03,650 --> 00:05:07,370 Speaker 1: urgency as when we first rebuffed his love or first 74 00:05:07,430 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: received it. Because as today's verse states, our God, is 75 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: a God of justice, a God who always does what 76 00:05:15,260 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: is right, who never behaves selfishly or maliciously, who never 77 00:05:18,820 --> 00:05:22,950 Speaker 1: manipulates or holds grudges, who is always faithful and steadfast 78 00:05:23,110 --> 00:05:26,770 Speaker 1: in his love. His justice holds even more depth for 79 00:05:26,970 --> 00:05:29,350 Speaker 1: us than it did for the ancient Israelites because you 80 00:05:29,370 --> 00:05:31,890 Speaker 1: and I are living in what scholars refer to as 81 00:05:31,950 --> 00:05:35,090 Speaker 1: the age of grace, the time period after Jesus' death 82 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: on the cross through which he paid for our sins past, present, 83 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,140 Speaker 1: and future. And because Christ already paid the penalty for 84 00:05:42,230 --> 00:05:45,310 Speaker 1: our wrongs, already settled the score, so to speak, it 85 00:05:45,330 --> 00:05:49,190 Speaker 1: wouldn't be just for God to require payment again, not 86 00:05:49,250 --> 00:05:52,909 Speaker 1: for those who have chosen to receive the forgiveness and 87 00:05:52,970 --> 00:05:58,070 Speaker 1: grace he offered. Sadly, I don't know whether my loved 88 00:05:58,230 --> 00:06:03,270 Speaker 1: one who has since passed ever received Christ's grace. And 89 00:06:03,310 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: yet I know, based on today's verse, our Father watched 90 00:06:08,020 --> 00:06:12,740 Speaker 1: over this person and waited to show them his love. 91 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,940 Speaker 1: And he waits to show us his compassion and grace 92 00:06:17,220 --> 00:06:21,659 Speaker 1: as well. Let's pray. Holy Father, you are a God 93 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:30,490 Speaker 1: of justice, love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, of compassion, You don't 94 00:06:30,589 --> 00:06:34,020 Speaker 1: treat us as we deserve, and we are so thankful 95 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:37,659 Speaker 1: for that. Instead, you shower us with your love. You 96 00:06:37,740 --> 00:06:43,380 Speaker 1: pursue us in your love. You are a patient, gracious 97 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,789 Speaker 1: Father who always has our best in mind. Lord, remind 98 00:06:48,070 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: us of today's verse when we mess up. when we 99 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:54,140 Speaker 1: behave in ways that we know grieve your heart, remind 100 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:57,340 Speaker 1: us that you still look at us with longing. You 101 00:06:57,380 --> 00:07:00,500 Speaker 1: still pursue us with longing and you want to bring 102 00:07:00,540 --> 00:07:03,390 Speaker 1: us right back into your loving embrace. May we turn back. 103 00:07:03,650 --> 00:07:07,310 Speaker 1: May we rest in you. May we repent from whatever 104 00:07:07,450 --> 00:07:09,850 Speaker 1: has turned us away from you so that we can 105 00:07:10,090 --> 00:07:12,350 Speaker 1: walk closely with you once again, so that we can 106 00:07:12,430 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: experience the depth of relationship as your beloved child once again. 107 00:07:18,330 --> 00:07:21,180 Speaker 1: And Lord, also remind us of today's verse when we're 108 00:07:21,220 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: grieved for loved ones, maybe siblings or parents or adult 109 00:07:26,740 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: children or friends or even spouses who don't yet know you, 110 00:07:31,060 --> 00:07:35,110 Speaker 1: who haven't yet received your gift of salvation. Remind us 111 00:07:35,170 --> 00:07:39,450 Speaker 1: that your heart is for them, that you are pursuing 112 00:07:39,550 --> 00:07:43,450 Speaker 1: them at this moment, that you are watching them in love, 113 00:07:43,490 --> 00:07:47,670 Speaker 1: that you are waiting with longing for to show them compassion, 114 00:07:47,710 --> 00:07:51,470 Speaker 1: that you will rise up to show them compassion. It's 115 00:07:51,530 --> 00:07:56,740 Speaker 1: an active compassion, Lord, not passive. It's an active compassion 116 00:07:56,780 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: that moves you to action. And we see that in 117 00:08:00,140 --> 00:08:02,860 Speaker 1: Jesus's death on the cross. And we thank you for that. 118 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,620 Speaker 1: Remind us of the price that he paid to set 119 00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:10,490 Speaker 1: us free and the love that drove you to send 120 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,850 Speaker 1: your son for us. May that love echo forever. loudly 121 00:08:15,250 --> 00:08:18,150 Speaker 1: in our souls. And may it also flow from us 122 00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:21,750 Speaker 1: as well so that we can more accurately reflect you 123 00:08:21,870 --> 00:08:25,630 Speaker 1: to a world that needs the salvation that you offer. 124 00:08:26,090 --> 00:08:28,310 Speaker 1: We love you and we praise you. And it is 125 00:08:28,350 --> 00:08:32,030 Speaker 1: in the name of your Son, our victorious Savior, Jesus Christ, 126 00:08:32,070 --> 00:08:33,170 Speaker 1: that we pray. Amen.