wait on Him... Zephaniah 3:7-8...

"... I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction.

Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all

that I appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager

to make all their deeds corrupt.

"Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day

when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision

is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger;

for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. ..."

Zephaniah 3:7-8 ESV

In His grace... over and over...

He brings correction to our lives...

through the consequences of sin...

Yet... how often do we recognize it as grace...? 

Surely we would accept correction...

but no... we blame others...

blame Him...

blame anyone but ourselves...

for life's "misfortunes"...

If only we had eyes to see His grace...

we wouldn't lose our place in the world...

we wouldn't be sent into exile...

Instead... we are all the more eager to continue down the path of corruption...

The warning is sure...

wait for it...

because when we don't return to Him...

don't receive His grace...

destruction is imminent...

He is a jealous God...

He will not allow those He loves to be possessed by someone... something... else...

He will not allow His glory to be given to another...

His indignation will pour out...

His wrath consuming all the earth...

But there is a refuge for those who return...

for those who receive the grace of the cross...

where His anger... wrath... ire...

have been poured out in full...

on His Son...

For God has not destined us for wrath,

but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ...

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

He endured what we could not...

God's wrath...

By sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh

and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh....

Romans 8:3 ESV

Conviction... grace...

Consequences... grace...

Correction... grace...

When we see these graces...

we see our need for a Savior...

and are prepared to receive salvation...

... and to wait for his Son from heaven,

whom he raised from the dead, Jesus

who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV

With salvation we wait for His return with confidence...

wait on Him... Isaiah 8:17...

I will wait for the Lord,

who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob,

and I will hope in him.

Isaiah 8:17 ESV

Isaiah... God's voice in the midst of a rebellious people...

Do not do as they do... God told Isaiah...

Do not fear what they fear... you fear Me... 

The Lord will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense...

a rock of stumbling... to those in Jerusalem...

(Isaiah 8:11-15)

Sometimes... people... as a community... move so far from Him... He hides His face... His presence... from all... as discipline...

The rebellious fall... break... become enraged... when God turns His face...

they rail against Him even more... find Him useless... 

But the faithful... like Isaiah... finding themselves in the midst of the fallout... do not fear... do not fall... they continue to wait for... hope in... the One whose face is turned...

To them He is a sanctuary...

their source of hope...

I look at today's cultural climate...

and wonder at the similarities...

so for the faithful... this word is for you...

Don't do what this people do...

don't fear what they fear...

fear Him...

wait for Him...

hope in Him...

and He will be your Sanctuary...

while everyone else... stumbles...

rebellion...

I see it in the face of a loved one who's drifted off course... I'm not sure he's even recognized what's taken hold of his heart... or why he's allowed it to reside...

Why do we embrace rebellion...? defiance...?

So we don't have to go low...

Rebellion... it prevents the bending of the knee... keeps the face off the ground...

Rebellion... does not admit wrong... or acknowledge sin...

It lies... making you believe... you are free... above it all... when you are not...

"...the Sovereign Lord says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do --- because you have done this, you will be taken captive. ..."

Ezekiel 21:24

(emphasis mine)

Rebellion... is ugly... it is deadly... 

Rebellion... puts a wedge between you and God...

Drawing near to Him... requires... going low... and resisting the enemy... named... Rebellion...

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:7-10

I pray the loved one will receive the counsel... seek Truth... regarding the state of his heart... stop exalting himself... go low... and allow Him... to lift him out of the pit he has dug for himself...