In my Scripture reading this morning I came across the phrase “God waits to be gracious.” The full text of the verse from Isaiah 30:18 is “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. ”
I remember years ago, a brother who had been blind from birth and who struggled every day finally coming to the place where he surrendered, and fully gave his life to the Lord. Not long afterwards, the Lord took him home. It became clear to me, that the Lord had waited to take home, until he actually got the victory. At that point He could indeed be gracious to him, He could indeed have mercy upon him, and then, because his sins were covered by the blood of Jesus, He could in justice take him home to heaven (1 John 1:9).
As I have been asking the Lord to break my heart with the things that break His, I have been thinking about the parable of the prodigal son. That father too waited to be gracious for his son. But it could not have been easy. I know in my own life letting go has been a struggle at times. And sometimes a very big struggle!
I just got back yesterday, from a short trip to Halifax in Nova Scotia. There the Lord put me in touch with a number of people who were struggling with letting go. I remember years ago one preacher saying, that he thought that the father of the prodigal son did the wrong thing in giving him money and letting him go. But I think he missed the point. The point surely is that in letting go he eventually won his son back.
Father, please give us, give me the courage to let go when I need to, and the wisdom to know when to do so. Thank you that you have freely given us access to your wisdom. I love you Lord. In Jesus Name Amen
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