Wait on the Lord

Stephen Russell

Preaching Through the Bible • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Isaiah 30:18

Patience

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Introduction

The book of Isaiah is filled with the idea of waiting.

I know we have talked a lot about patience lately, but I am struck by the saturation of the concept in Isaiah and I am struck by how frequently I need to hear the admonition.

I want to look at this concept in several places throughout the book of Isaiah with some illustrations borrowed from other places in scripture.

Unbelief Disguised

Unbelief seems like strong language for something like impatience (Num. 20:12).

It was strong language for the behavior of Moses.

But I think sometimes we are wont to overlook the seriousness of our attitudes because we are just going along like the rest of the world…but that is the problem.

The very foundations of faith are that we believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do (Heb. 11:6).

We forget God during the mundane (Isa. 17:10-11; 19:5-8)

This unbelief is found in moving forward without God’s guidance (Isa. 30:1-3; cf. Ezra 8:22-23).

There is a need for balance here. God certainly hasn’t called us to ignore all precautions that this world has to offer.

And yet there is an unhealthy way to lean on those promises with too much confidence.

It involves forgetting His promises and looking for other promises (Isa. 30:15-18).

Whatever actions we take must not merely consider what the world is saying, not even primarily what the world is saying.

They have different goals and confidences than we do.

In all of its analyzation of any problem, the world doesn’t spare a single thought for what God wants or promises.

Looking for Answers

We live in a world where we are increasingly accustomed to having immediate answers.

That makes us all the more frustrated when the answers are not available (1 Sam. 13:8-12).

What do you do to yourself in pursuit of answers that are not there (Isa. 8:19-20)?

Often, there is nothing to do but to wait, and then wait some more (Isa. 8:17).

He Works for Those Who Wait

This is unique among the gods of this world (Isa. 46:1-10).

And so our response is unique (Isa. 64:1-4; cf. 1 Kgs. 18:28-29; Ex. 32:6, 19, 25).

We must wait with the right heart:

There are 4 different words translated “wait” in Isaiah and only one of them has a negative connotation (Isa. 29:9).

The other words speak of waiting:

With longing and eagerness (Isa. 30:18).

With hopeful and eager expectation (Isa. 5:2, 4; 40:31).

A similar word is found in Isa. 51:5.

We must wait with the right action (Ex. 13:13-15; Phil. 1:21-25).

Conclusion

I am ready to move past so many things not the least of which is the tears of this world and all the things that cause them.

I get to the end of the things I can do and know and I am not satisfied with where that leaves me. I want to move forward, I want to know where this ends up and when it ends up.

But I must learn to be satisfied. Because that leaves me in God’s control and with that thought I must learn to be content.

Do you know why the world increases its volume as they cry out to their gods? It is because they do not have confidence in their gods to deliver them.

Do you have confidence the God who is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him?

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