The LORD [Jehovah] is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the Lord [Adonay] gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction … your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:18-21)
The intersections of life can be challenging. When we arrive at a fork in the road, if the destination doesn’t matter, the choice is relatively harmless. But when life-impacting events and destinations hang on that choice, doubt and hesitation may cloud our minds. We usually don’t want to make deliberately wrong decisions.
We naturally hesitate and doubt when we can’t see clearly or understand fully. Not knowing all the facts or having clear direction can be a cause to pause. But no matter the intersection, no matter the doubt, one fact remains unchangeable: God is just, gracious, and faithful.
Unfortunately, doubt and second-guessing are natural human responses when facing difficult or uncertain periods of life. Gideon doubted his significance when experiencing the brutal attacks of the Midianites. Moses doubted God’s call on his life to confront Pharaoh and demand the Israelites’ freedom. John the Baptist doubted his life’s work when he was imprisoned and faced execution. Thomas doubted Christ’s resurrection after the crucifixion.
What a blessing to know we have a reliable, just, righteous, gracious, faithful God no matter our circumstances or experiences. How amazing to know He sees the end from the beginning and sovereignly orchestrates all details for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory.
But the secret is in waiting for Him.
Waiting on God
As much as we may hate to wait, God often calls His followers to seasons of waiting. “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7). “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him” (Psalm 62:5). “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14).
Waiting takes courage. Waiting requires a strong heart. But notice something strange. God said He will strengthen our hearts. Why would He do that instead of strengthening our minds? Why wouldn’t He immediately grant us the patience to wait for Him? He strengthens our hearts because they influence us to do some crazy stuff. Hearts get impatient. Hearts get desperate. Hearts get lonely. Hearts become discouraged and doubtful.
So we wait on the unchanging, everlasting, loving God. His ways and timing are always best.
Adversity and Affliction
In our selected verses, Isaiah mentioned bread and water, two sustainers of life. More importantly, Jesus said He is the Bread of Life and provider of the Water of Life. But Isaiah referred to the “bread of adversity” and “water of affliction.”
The word “adversity” means a narrow, tight place; being crowded or in distress; experiencing tribulation, sorrow, and trouble. Based on these definitions, I’d kindly refuse that bread. The word “affliction” means oppression or distress. Likewise, I’d stay away from that water source. From what we read in 1 Kings 22:27, both of these were given to prisoners.
If we have a choice, we’d all stay away from such “prison food.” But God sometimes restricts our “diets” to turn our attention fully to Him. As hard as it may be to understand, even when He does this, He is righteous and faithful. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. I know, O LORD, that … in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:71, 75).
If the doubt you’re currently experiencing is due to such adversity and affliction, keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Listen for His still small voice and surrender to what the Holy Spirit wants to do through this experience. Though God may be silent, He is never absent.
God’s Direction
When we trust God with all our hearts, though we may not fully understand what He is doing, if we acknowledge Him, He promises to direct us.
In our selected verses, Isaiah also referred to hearing a voice behind us. Usually, when people are behind us, we can’t see them. But they see us. How comforting to know God always sees us and knows right where we are. Jesus said His followers hear His voice and they follow Him. Listening to His Word, waiting on Him, and spending time in surrender before Him are all elements of receiving guidance from Him. Though we may not fully see Him or understand what He’s doing, we can still “hear” His voice through His Word and the prompting of His Holy Spirit.
Keep in mind, our adversary, the master tempter, distracts us from our primary mission. He influences us by putting his grimy, infected fingers into our pain points, subconscious biases, unsurrendered areas, and preferential “things” to prompt our innate sin nature. Additionally, we face the danger of subtly drifting away from God’s righteousness when we don’t prioritize Him and His holy standard. So we need a voice to call us back to the straight and narrow.
Narrow Road, Few Travelers
If there are many people on your road or many voices clamoring for your attention, you might want to check it. I’ve found that the closer I get to Jesus, the thinner the crowd.
Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction [perdition, loss, ruin, eternal damnation], and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Christians are the minority in this world. If you are championing a worldly cause, with many voices, I encourage you to listen for the still small voice of the One who sees you. The majority of this world are under Satan’s power, control, and influence. Be careful if you’re following the crowd.
Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us several clues as we navigate life’s uncertain intersections. It assures us we are “surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.” This means that unseen heavenly hosts are watching us. It also encourages us to let go of “every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.” This means to let go of all worldly pleasures and personal desires. Then it inspires us to run our race intentionally and persistently, all while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Summary
When facing an uncertain decision, rest assured God already knows about it, wants what’s best for you, and sees the outcome. You can trust Him and His loving heart. Such trust requires faithfulness and waiting for His voice, His timing, and His leading. Quiet all doubt and other distractions and voices, rest in His presence, and await His whisper. Once He reveals His answer, walk confidently with your eyes firmly resting on Him as you follow where He leads.
Purchase Nate’s book, Called to Christlikeness, not Christianity here.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Nate Stevens.
Featured Image by Sajad Nori on Unsplash
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