Yesterday I realized I am living out what the Lord tried to show the Israelites over and over and over again. We aren’t to form alliances or depend upon others; no, we are to take everything to the Lord in prayer. God allows suffering for several reasons. He uses times of suffering to break chains in our hearts. He allows suffering to purify us and bring us closer to Him. He allows suffering to strengthen us in discipline. He continues to remind us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

We’re to abide in the Lord, and allow the washing of His Word over us to give us the strength to move out of depression, or whatever is going on with us. “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps 27:14) 

Today I looked at Isaiah 30, and found the Lord saying the same thing to the Israelites: “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not'” (Is 30:15) Those of us who have studied God’s Word knows His expectation. If there is any distance between us and the Lord it is us who have move. He never changes, He never moves.

Sometimes we have a perceived inability to receive His grace; this inability comes from pride and is a lie from Satan.  We think we can do it. We can manage our lives and fix our messes. That is why so many times it takes suffering to get us on our knees desperately reaching toward God and asking Him for help. He will be patient and wait for us to seek Him and His will. “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.” (Is 30:18)

He offers grace to a people whom He purposely created to need this grace. It is more than favor; it is what we need to get through every moment of every day.  With each stumbling block this world throws at us, God’s grace gives us the strength and determination to rise again. This is total dependence. It is in this total dependence where we find the power to walk as sojourners in this world. We are in a world where we can never settle because we don’t belong here. 

We belong in the Kingdom of heaven and it will take His mighty power to strengthen us so that we don’t fall into the ways of the world and become like everyone else. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Is 40:31) It was by God’s design that we are weak and vulnerable. He created us to need and depend on Him and Him alone and in doing so He knows better than we how much we need His grace and compassion.

Dear Lord, I need Your help in this moment.  I need You to show me the way.  I gratefully receive Your grace and compassion and choose to let go of my own limited understanding. Help me to receive from You all that You offer and to continue to remember to humble myself to Your will. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.