I've written about Isaiah 30:18 a million times, but a few minutes ago, while doing my quiet time I was struck by a picture it paints. Here is what the verse says:
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!
What struck me is the line, "he rises to show you compassion."
I know God never sleeps, but when I get up at 5:09 every morning to start my day, I feel like I might be the only one awake in the world. When I come into a dark office building and turn on the lights at work, it feels like I'm the only one up. But in this verse we get the picture of God rising. He is awakening. He is getting up. And the question on His lips, the thought for the day is "How can I show compassion to Jon today? How can I be gracious to him?"
I feel heretical just typing that. That is too good to be true. As I scribbled that idea down in my five star notebook this morning I couldn't help but hear the voice of doubt repeating, "No way. No way. No way."
But maybe doubt is wrong this time. Maybe when verses like this say "the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion," I shouldn't read them as "sometimes the Lord longs to be gracious to you. If you're good, he might show you compassion."
Maybe, just maybe, this God of ours really does love us as much as He keeps trying to tell us.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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27 comments:
Ii'm thinking that's too good to be true but my heart knows that it's not a lie.
Thank you for reminding me. This brings me peace.
On days like today, I feel alternately blessed and overwhelmed with unworthiness by this because I didn't rise to meet Him like I wanted to.
I will remember this tomorrow morning.
Crazy but true. His love is relentless!
What a great thought. Thank you so much for sharing. It's very easy to forget this, especially on a snowy cold day when I don't even want to rise at all. To know that The Lord rises every morning, every day, without fail for all of us is soul moving to me.
Thanks. I needed that. Who doesn't?
I need to be reminded often that God is a personal God and loves ME. Seeing the words in black and white in the Word of God screams TRUTH.
So true! I just posted a bit about the verse in Lamentations that says His compassions (and love) are new every morning. I barely touched on it in my blog because if I'm honest, I just can't wrap my mind around that.
Good stuff. I really like that last line. "Maybe, just maybe, this God of ours really does love us as much as He keeps trying to tell us."
Thanks for the reminder.
I have the very same tendency to physically sit with the Word open in my lap and think "no way, no way, no way."
Here's to new mercies every morning...
I am reminded of Psalm 23:6 that says "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Imagine it! Goodness and Mercy are following you around everywhere you go, just behind you waiting to pounce!
this is so true. i sometimes wonder why my day was crazy but nothing went wrong. or wonder how i was able to pay a bill that was more than i thought. the little things we want to worry about. maybe, just maybe it was God who woke with me, determined to show me compassion. what an amazing thought. this should be a "thought to ponder on" attached to a chapet in the SCL book. we all need this in the back of our thoughts.
Very bad news from my mom's doctor yesterday....I need the Lord to be gracious and show compassion on our family right now. Thanks for reminding me He will (does, has....)
"Maybe, just maybe, this God of ours really does love us as much as He keeps trying to tell us."
i. love. this.
i've been reading Abba's Child, and this is what i think God (and Manning) have been trying to get through my skull.
Thanks for letting God reiterate through you.
Great thought, and True through and through.
Blessings
This is so good. I posted recently about abortion and God's grace to those who have chosen abortion. I have never read this scripture in that context and it speaks directly to God's longing to be gracious to us regardless of our sin and shame. Thanks!
Thanks for writing on this today. Its the last line that jumped at me as earlier today I read Is. 64:4 and its last line also deals with "waiting" for God. I think He is telling me right now that I may be trying to rush Him a bit. And I am.
Thanks Jon.
C!
Of curse He does! Great reminder :)
*course
Thanks, Jon. I'm saying "no way, no way" with you... and still that beautiful "maybe" is creeping in :)
He really, really does. Isn't that awesome?
"Maybe, just maybe, this God of ours really does love us as much as He keeps trying to tell us."
Beautiful Jon.
Reminds me of a father looking down at a little daughter and the father says, "I love you, I really do."
The little daughter crosses her arms and shakes her head, "No! You don't!"
She runs off into her own rebellion.
The father looks around at the house he has provided her, the toys she plays with, the food on the table he has worked so hard to give her. He thinks about how many times he has held her when she gets hurt. How many times he has stood in her doorway at night and watched her sleep- he only got up from his own bed because he wanted to be sure she was safe.
His heart breaks because his little daughter won't accept his love and won't rest in peace.
The father is still devoted and patient and will always love the little daughter. He keeps saying it to her, everday, "I love you, I really do."
Yet, she won't budge, she won't just accept her father's love.
Sounds a little ridiculous?
Don't we do that to God all the time ourselves?
Jon,
I really enjoyed this. Thank you again for allowing yourself to be a light in the world
It is hard to fathom, but thanks for helping it sink in a little more.
Before my feet hit the floor every morning I thank God for another day. We do take life for granted and their are so many distrations. It is a shame we can't except a God who loves us, but we would rather fear God. Our human minds just can't understand and that's o.k, because if I could figure everything out about God, then he wouldn't be God.
I just found your blog for the first time today. I was wandering around in the archives and really enjoying what you've written. But this post really struck me. Hard.
When I thought of the Lord rising to show me compassion, I saw Him standing up (rising) from His throne. How often does a king rise to greet his subjects? But God rises to show me compassion. ME?! Me. Wow.
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