Isaiah 49:23b “And thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
I don’t know about you, but I live by alarms. If they don’t go off, I am not where I am supposed to be! After I wake up to an alarm each morning, I check my email, the weather, and the things that will alarm me (quite literally) at some time throughout the day. If you have ever been late, it can be a very shameful thing!
In Isaiah 49, God is speaking to His people who will be taken captive and then later restored to the land. In verse 23, God speaks of a time when the tables will be turned–the conquerors will act as if they were conquered. But remember, this is written to people who would be in captivity their entire lives! God says, “They shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” I love that! God wrote this promise to people who had not yet faced the captivity that He was promising deliverance from!
It really is true that “they shall not be ashamed that wait for [God].” First, that means that God is always on time. He may not be on time according to my time, but His time is always the right time.
Secondly, this means that God never forgets. If I am late, usually it is because I forgot or missed my alarm. God never needs an alarm–He never forgets! Israel thought that God had forgotten them (verse 14), but God compared His faithfulness to a mother and her newborn child. It would be more likely for a mother to forget her baby than God to forget His children. The point of the picture is that it wouldn’t happen, but God says, “Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” (verse 15) God will not forget!
Have you ever been waiting on something or wondering where God was? Maybe you wonder if God has forgotten or if He does not know? Well, you are looking at your watch–you are watching the wrong clock! God is always on time and He does not forget. He reminded His people (and us today) in verse 16, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” God knows and cares, and He is always on time.
A noble life is a life lived on God’s watch and in God’s timezone. There is no room for impatience, small visions, and small thinking in such a life. You don’t have to wait on everybody, but you are a wise person to wait patiently on and trust God.
“For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Services tonight in Franklin, TN; Ripley, TN; and Woodridge, IL
2. Deaf Rally this weekend in Frederick, MD