Not Struggling Alone (Isaiah 18)

 Isaiah 18:4 For thus the Lord says to me: I will quietly look on from where I dwell, like the glowing heat of sunshine, like a cloud of dew at harvest time. 

In this chapter, Isaiah speaks of how Ethiopia sends word to the Israelites asking them to go up against Assyria, and then make alliance with Ethiopia. God responds by sayin he will just watch from where he is at, meaning he doesn’t need Ethiopia’s alliance. He can take care of Assyria himself. And he is watching, waiting until the time is right to harvest the Assyrian people. When “the blooms are succeeded by ripening grapes” meaning just when Assyria thinks they are ready to attack, God will cut their “branches with pruning hooks.” He will take down the army in his time, when he sees it right. And after which, he says the Ethiopians will come to him to praise his name. 

God is always there, though sometimes we don’t feel his presence. He may be just quietly looking on from where he dwells, watching us. He may be allowing us an opportunity to grow in faith. Sometimes when I begin to struggle with something, I realize part of my struggle is that I came into the situation either prideful, arrogant, or ill-prepared. In other words, I came in without God. And he allows me the time to fall, and realize that I did need him. So I get to the opportunity to humble myself and ask for help. And shod gets to come in and harvest the evil out, on his time. If God fixed all our messes for us at the time we need, or even prevented our messes, how would we ever learn? If we aren’t allowed to make mistake, how can we truly earn glory? I for one am glad God is not a helicopter parent, and gives me the chance me to learn and redeem myself. This way, I truly appreciate all the blessings I am given, as I know they could just as easily be taken away. 

Lord, I thank you for letting me learn. I praise you for the grace and mercy when I fall. I know you have a plan for me, for our future, and I pray I for continued faith as I wait for you to turn the page of this chapter.