Keep Looking!

If you’ve never read Isaiah 30:18 in the Amplified translation, you need to. It just may open your eyes to see our God and His gracious nature in fresh, new ways. It certainly has had that effect on me. The last time the Lord led me to this verse was during my quiet time with Him, when I was feeling somewhat sorrowful about some promised rewards which I still had not reaped.

The verse starts out by saying: “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you.” It warmed my heart to picture the Lord standing by, eager to bless me. No matter what my own fleshly mind, or the devil himself, might tell me, God wasn’t standing by waiting to point out everything that was wrong with me.

The next simple phrase was the clincher: “For the Lord is a God of justice.” I knew in my heart that I had some rewards coming because of my continued commitment to serve the Lord, and to keep giving Him first place in my life. And here, He was telling me that He was well aware of my faithfulness, and He would see that my promised rewards would come at just the right time.

The last part of this verse says: “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!” As I meditated upon these comforting words, I heard the Lord say to my heart, “Keep looking!” He knew that if I could stop focusing on my disappointment and disillusionment, and start focusing on the divine blessings that were sure to come, I would be filled with a joyful expectation that would draw me closer to the fulfillment of His promises.

I believe this Word from God is for you today, just as much as it is for me. So let me encourage you, dear friend—“Keep Looking!”