“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).

The most important word in the text is the very first word, “Yet.”

If God were to be gracious and show compassion because we are such deserving and worthy people, it would all make sense. But that’s not the point of this verse. It’s that we are undeserving, unworthy, messed-up, weak, pathetic, err-prone, frail, stubborn, proud, repeat sinners.

YET!

“YET the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion”

WOW! That’s amazing. You see why we call God’s grace “Amazing Grace”? It truly is unbelievable.

Love what J. C. Ryle said when he wrote, “God knew what we were before conversion – yet he loved us. And God knows what we will be after conversion – yet he loves us still.”

That’s good news! That’s Amazing Grace!!!

“For those are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction. They say to the seers ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel'” (Isaiah 30:9-11).

God is holy and just. We are sinners. And even if we are forgiven sinners, we are repeat sinners bound to sin again.

If that is true, and the church you go to never preaches anything that goes against your conscience, the pastor never preaches anything that offends you, and the god the church believes in believes everything you believe in, SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG!!!

We live in a world where no one wants to hear that they are wrong.
We go to churches where the pews and seats are filled with people who want their beliefs and ways affirmed.
We live in a world where declaring biblical truth is declared hateful speech.

But this is nothing new. This was what the prophets of Isaiah’s days from 2,600 years ago were challenged with. People haven’t changed.

Sinful people hate being told they are sinful people.

And, here is the craziest thing. God knows this is who we are, and yet God still loves us. God still extends his grace towards us. God still offers us his forgiveness.

Repent. Turn to God and be forgiven of your sins.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

You’re not that smart. That’s what this verse is saying.

You think you can outwit satan? You think you can withstand his assault? Come on. satan talked angels out of heaven. You don’t think he can talk you into sin and hell? You’re not that smart.

So, then, what is our hope? 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul tell us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful.”

What is our only hope? God. Trust in God. Turn to God. When the devil rages war with his lies, turn to God and read God’s word. Turn to God’s truths.

On our own, we have no chance. Our only hope in temptation is God. Turn to him. You can find him present in his word, in his truth.