Why The Lord Waits During Your Affliction

"Therefore the Lord will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18 ...that he may be gracious to you… What is the Lord waiting for? Each life is a unique story, planned before one was ever born. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;" Jeremiah 1:5 When you look at your young child, you have some idea how you will raise him. You have values you want to instill in him. You have knowledge you want to impart to him. If you tell him not to touch the stove and he goes to touch it anyway, you'll perhaps tell him once or twice not to, but if he persists you'll allow him to find out why you didn't want him to touch it. And for sure, he won't touch it again. He learned the hard way. You didn't wish it that way, but it was the only way. Our Father has known you from the beginning and he knows you far more intimately than you know your child, or even than you know yourself. He has set up a plan, a story, which will develop you into the highest version of yourself possible. He has the patience to wait during the hard times, not ending your trial before it has had a chance to bring about his purpose for it. It may seem such a long time for you to go through your affliction, but it won't be a day longer than necessary, even though for some that might be a long time. There are several things they must learn as they walk through suffering. In one's affliction there are things being learned and growth taking place that could not happen any other way. If your child has an infection, you will see that he gets the treatment he needs to recover no matter how long it takes. That treatment can be painful. It could mean surgery, or painful injections, or unpleasant medications. Which of them would you not give your child? You'd give him any, of course, if that's what it takes for his recovery. And so the Lord waits. It makes no sense to the son or daughter who continuously questions why he has to go through what's been chosen for him to go through, as though perhaps the Father doesn't know what he's doing, or worse, doesn't care. Every child thinks the chastisement unfair or too tough. But there are some children who have such confidence in the wisdom of their Father, that they will be quick to allow the chastening, the spiritual medication or surgery or whatever it takes to bring forth the desired end. So the Lord will wait. But read the next words in that passage. The Lord will wait THAT HE MAY BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. In other words, the result is going to be the grace of God, his mercy, his blessing, and many a time when you've gone through something for oh so long, then suddenly and unexpectedly the blessing will come and you will be astonished. You will regret every resistance you posed, because then you will understand the purpose behind the suffering. And just when you've thought it was going to last forever, the blessing will stun you in its sudden appearing, and then you will understand and appreciate his Word in which says that he: "...comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2nd Corinthians 1:4 Suffering will prepare you to be able later to comfort someone else who is suffering. There is a wisdom that comes through suffering that is precious and eternal in its value. Don't resist it.