December 9

Morning

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him. — Isa 30:18 BSB

God often delays in answering prayer. We see several examples of this in Scripture. Jacob didn’t receive the blessing from the angel until near daybreak—he wrestled all night for it. The poor Syrophoenician woman wasn’t given an answer for a long time. Paul prayed three times for the “thorn in the flesh” to be removed, but instead of it being taken away, he was given the assurance that God’s grace would be sufficient for him.

If you’ve been knocking at the gate of mercy and haven’t received an answer, you may wonder why God hasn’t opened the door and let you in. Our Father has His reasons, known only to Himself, for making us wait.

Sometimes, it is to display His power and sovereignty, reminding us that Jehovah has the right to give or to withhold.

More often, the delay is for our benefit. God may keep you waiting so that your desires grow more fervent. He knows that delay will sharpen and intensify your longing, making you seek His mercy more earnestly and appreciate it all the more when it finally comes.

There could also be something in you that needs to be addressed before you can fully experience the joy of the Lord. Perhaps your understanding of the gospel is unclear, or you may be placing some small amount of trust in yourself instead of relying solely and completely on the Lord Jesus.

Or, God may delay simply to more fully display the riches of His grace to you in the end. Your prayers are all stored in heaven. If they aren’t immediately answered, they certainly aren’t forgotten and will, in time, be fulfilled in a way that will bring you joy and satisfaction. So, don’t let despair make you stop praying—keep pressing on with earnest supplication!

Evening

Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest. — Isa 32:18 BSB

Peace and rest don’t belong to the unregenerate; they are the unique inheritance of the Lord’s people, and theirs alone. The God of Peace gives perfect peace to those whose hearts are stayed on Him. When man was still unfallen, God gave him the peaceful garden of Eden as his resting place, but sin soon destroyed that innocent paradise. During the great flood of wrath that swept away the guilty world, the chosen family rested safely in the ark, which carried them from the old condemned world into the new earth of the rainbow and the covenant. This ark, of course, is a picture of Jesus, the ark of our salvation. In Egypt, Israel rested securely beneath their blood-sprinkled doorways while the destroying angel struck down the firstborn. And in the wilderness, the cloud’s shadow and the flowing rock provided the weary pilgrims with sweet repose.

Today, we rest in the promises of our faithful God, knowing that His words are true and full of power. We rest in the doctrines of His Word, which are a source of great comfort. We rest in the covenant of His grace, which is a safe harbor of delight. We are more blessed than David in Adullam or Jonah beneath his vine because no one can invade or destroy our place of refuge. The person of Jesus is the quiet resting place for His people, and whenever we draw near to Him—whether through the breaking of bread, the hearing of the Word, the reading of Scripture, or in prayer and praise—we find our peace restored!