Hoping and Waiting

And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. – Isaiah 8v17

I suspect most of us can certainly identify with Isaiah here. At least if we are going to be honest that is. Let me parrowphrase this – 'Even though I can't see what God is doing I am going to wait on Him and put my hope in Him.'

Isaiah had seen God high and lifted up. He knew Him and because of that encounter He had confidence that God could sort things out.

The nation of Israel was a mess. They had forgotten about God. Isaiah, and godly men like him did not see God doing anything about it. They had two choices – they could get frustrated and angry with God and turn against Him, or they could choose to trust Him no matter what they saw.

Choosing to trust God in those days is the essence of what faith is all about. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is the evidence of things not seen. It is choosing to wait on God and hope in Him no matter what we see going on. It is choosing to do those things even when it seems like God is hiding His face.

When do you and I chose to do when it seems like God is hiding His face from us? What do we do in those dark and lonely hours?

Faith says that in those days we are going to wait on God put our hope in Him. Faith is, after all, the substance of things that we truly hope for.