Waiting and Trusting in God
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 8:11-22
“I will wait for the Lord … I will put my trust in him.”
Isaiah 8:17
Do you have moments when you struggle with uncertainty and doubt? Do you put some people on a spiritual pedestal, thinking they are beyond such struggles? If so, then be encouraged by this passage. God comes to Isaiah to assure him in the midst of his own uncertainties. Conspiracy theories in Isaiah’s day abounded—and they still do today. Fear grew like a tumor in the soul of society, and it was affecting Isaiah too.
But Isaiah received firm instructions from God not to be influenced by Ahaz or the unbelieving strategy of Judah. Isaiah was to trust the Lord, who was gradually fulfilling his plan for the coming of Immanuel. The Lord was the one whom Isaiah should fear.
What fuels our doubts? In verses 14-15 Immanuel is described as a rock that would cause the people to stumble. There is something scandalous about the Messiah. The nature of that scandal becomes clear in Jesus’ ministry, where we meet the one who fulfills God’s purposes not as a mighty warrior but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
What do we do when the world is in a panic? Isaiah said, “I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob.” Patient, faith-filled, grace-empowered waiting on God is one of the most active ways we can show obedience to our Savior.
Lord, we’re often fearful and full of doubt when we see so much turbulence around us. Help us to wait in patient obedience, knowing that you are in control. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Victor Atallah
Rev. Victor Atallah is the broadcast team leader for The Back to God Hour Arabic ministry and the general director of Middle East Reformed Fellowship. These meditations are based on texts of Arabic broadcasts aired a few years ago and an Arabic commentary on the book of Isaiah prepared for publication. Rev. Atallah and his wife, Lisa, live in Larnaca, Cyprus, where The Back to God Hour Arabic ministry is based. The ministry reaches Arabic-speaking people throughout the Middle East and North Africa, introducing them to Jesus Christ, Savior of the nations.
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