I am often an impatient person. If I am waiting for a package to be delivered, I am always checking updates on its progress. If I am waiting in line at a traffic light, I start to get anxious as I don’t see the cars quickly moving when the light turns green. In our rush to get things done, patience is becoming more scarce among us. The hardest wait, however, is the wait for a loved one to return, whether from work travel or military deployment or estrangement.
Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for him.” The Lord is a God of great mercy and justice, so He waits for us to humbly come to Him when we have sinned and walked away. His mercy is great, even when we have wronged Him. He extends grace to us to awaken our need to come to Him. We should pass this blessing of mercy onto others who offend us and be patient with them.
Reluctant Retiree 