Trusting During Trouble

Isa 30:18 -19 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.


The people had not been willing to rely on God. Israel had come to rely on themselves, on Egypt, and on idols. It appears at times we trust in anything and anyone except for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Due to this the LORD had delayed giving them grace. The planned redemption of Israel was delayed. Their sin and rebellion will only demonstrate more clearly how wildly merciful God is in forgiving His people. Some believe that the Hebrew here should be interpreted to means that God is silent in order to show greater mercy upon them in the end.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a just God who keeps His promises. Therefore, those who trust in those promises even when all the circumstances speak against those promises being fulfilled have received grace from God to endure in faith in the midst of the most difficult times. One of the signs that we are true believers is that we rely on God’s promises even when all seems lost. This does not mean we may not struggle with moments of doubts and have questions. It does mean that in the end we are committed to reliance upon God’s goodness and mercy. It is the character of God and His competence in accomplishing what He in intends that gives us hope.

For a holy people will dwell in Zion. The additional adjective “holy” is supplied by the Septuagint version of the Old Testament and seems to fit well into this context. This seems to be a picture of the final redemption of God’s people. No more tears of sorrow. The people of God will know the full experience of God’s great grace and mercy.

On the one had we are to patiently wait. On the other we are to know that the LORD hears the cry for help the moment it is spoken. He has decided to act from the moment He hears it. From our perspective it seems like it takes a long time for God to keep His redemptive promises, but from His perspective He is not slow in keeping His promises but only allowing more time for more grace to be displayed. As we wait we are to know that He has heard us.

There are times in our lives when it seems that God is waiting to demonstrate grace to us. We can be seeking some new experience in prayer only to feel like our prayers hit the ceiling. Our desire can be to grow in faith and to do this we read the Bible only to have our reading create more questions than answers for our faith. We desire to develop Christian friends only to be hurt and rejected by them. We have been seeking God’s help to minister to people but can feel like there is no divine wind at our back. God seems to be waiting and at times the LORD seems silent to our cries for help and direction.

What are we do to when this happens? This passage would urge us to wait upon the Lord, depending upon his commitment to help and save us. It would remind us that God is fully committed to His plan of redemption and that He does hear the cries of His people. We must not despair. We must not give up faith in prayer. We must remain trusting in His amazing grace knowing that Christ/Messiah has died for our sins and been raised again. All the promises of God are “YES” in Messiah Jesus. He is the incarnation of God’s mercy and grace.