God keeps His Word . . . but
He isn’t bound by our timeframe.
God moved Isaiah the prophet to write: "“He endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that His suffering was punishment sent by God. But because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the blows He received." (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Isaiah penned those words from God concerning Jesus 700 years before Jesus' birth. Isaiah is one of many prophets who didn’t always get to see their words come to fruition in their lifetime. But it didn’t stop them from trusting God.
Society today is looking for instant everything—from mashed potatoes to credit card purchases to an online match with the love of a lifetime. Waiting is not our strong suit. We can get disgruntled, discouraged, and distrustful when things don’t happen when we want them to—even spiritual things. We ask, “When will my son trust Jesus?” “When will God stop the evil in this world?” “When is Jesus coming back?” Even King David asked, “How long, O LORD? How long?” (Psalm 13:1)
There IS a promise God gave Isaiah that God keeps as soon as it is claimed: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
While we wait, we have hope. In the interim, we have God with us. The book of Lamentations, an unlikely source of encouragement, shares these words: “Hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord's unfailing love and mercy continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope. The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in Him, so it is best for us to wait in patience for Him to save us.” (Lam. 3:22-23)
We never wait alone.
Be encouraged!
