“The Lord longs to be gracious to you…” Isa. 30:17
Heavenly Father, what a timely and tender way to begin the last Monday in June 2023—pondering your longing to be gracious to us. So how are we to understand that you have longings? You, our sovereign Father do everything that pleases you (Ps. 115:3). Only you can say that none of your purposes can be thwarted (Job. 42:2). You faithfully work all things together after the counsel of your will (Eph.1:11-12). So how is it that you have longings?
For us, longings express a degree of uncertainty. We long, but we’re not sure we’ll experience or have what we earnestly crave. But that’s not you, Father. Our longings carry a degree of doubt. But your longings… hallelujah… are pregnant with delight.
Because of the Gospel—because of Jesus’ finished work on our behalf, we know you are gracious towards us 24/7, 60 minutes of every hour. Your hands aren’t tied. You have already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph.1:3).
We’re the ones who are tied up. Our hearts are still bound with cords and shackles of unbelief, weighed down with fear, shame, and lies. Free us Father. Bring us more fully into the freedom for which Christ has set us free. Or bring us back to it, Abba. “What has happened to all our joy?” (Gal.4:15). You are gracious towards us right now—welcoming, kind, gentle, loving. That will not, cannot change. No condemnation means NO condemnation (Rom.8:1). Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.