Isaiah 30:18 – Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (NIV)

I had always wanted a horse, and our neighbour seemed to have just the right one for me. He was an old, retired pack horse, reliable, friendly, well-mannered, and very, very large. So large, in fact, that when I was in the saddle and he didn't want to move forward, there really wasn't anything I could do about it. And that was a problem, because Willie didn't like to step ahead on his own. At the age of 28, he had spent at least 24 years of his life as a pack horse, following the horse in front of him. He wasn't a leader — he was a follower, and he would stand and wait patiently all day for another horse to come and lead the way.

As much as I found this ingrained habit of his annoying and frustrating, it also reminded me of a very important spiritual truth. As God's people, we are called to be followers, not leaders, in our walk with Him. We are called to wait for Him before stepping out on our own or leading anyone else.

Isaiah 30:1 – "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin." (NIV)

Yes, waiting can be a problem for us. Waiting is not always easy. Waiting can be very boring. Waiting can be an annoyance and a frustration. But waiting upon the Lord for His guidance, direction, wisdom, justice, and healing is always the right and best thing to do, for God knows what business He is about:

Jeremiah 29:11 – "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)

Yes, "the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

Prayer: Father God, enable us today to "wait for the Lord, [to] be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14 NIV). In Christ's name, we ask. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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