“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18

We often speak of waiting on God to do certain things in our lives. Yet, there are times when God is waiting on us to do certain things. He wants us to:

1. Start Doing Things His Way

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me” Isaiah 30:1a

We must seek the counsel of God’s Word and do what He wants instead of what we want—we must come to the end of doing things our way.

Psalm 18:30 tells us God’s way is perfect, “As for God, his way is perfect.” The word perfect means entire or complete. God already knows the end from the beginning and the best route for us to take to become more like Christ and accomplish His will.

2. Start Listening to What He Is Saying

“This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:” Isaiah 30:9b

It is possible to hear without really listening, “Hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:13b). We must be careful not to develop a habit of not listening to God:

• We cannot talk and listen at the same time, “...be swift to hear, slow to speak...” (James 1:19).
• Be silent before the Lord, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7a); “...speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth...” (1 Samuel 3:9).

3. Start Following His Lead

“Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things” Isaiah 30:10a

God leads us through His Word, His Spirit, and His servants. If we are not following God-ordained authority in our lives, we are not following God. Isaiah 30:12–14 tells us that to not follow God’s leading is to eventually fall and to be broken.

May the Lord help us to take Isaiah 30:15 to heart, “…in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength….” Let’s return to the Lord by doing things His way, listening to what He is saying, and following His lead.