Waiting for the Spanking to be Over

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” (Isa 30:18 AV)

The idea here is that God will wait until their captivity is over.  Then He will be gracious to them.  In doing so, He will be exalted and as a result, will have mercy upon the nation.  God’s judgment here, which includes chastisement AND restoration, is seen as good.  Finally, the nation is encouraged to wait for the LORD to show mercy and grace once their years of captivity are over.

One of the most difficult things regarding chastening our children is the emotional and physical separation we suffer because of it.  No child wishes to be immediately reconciled to their father right after a spanking.  There are a lot of emotions associated with this punishment.  A lot of meditation comes as a result.  There is the coming to the truth that one deserved the spanking and that father was not being unrealistic.  There is anger or unresolved guilt at being caught.  There is a myriad of emotions that a chastened child must work through before full reconciliation can take hold.

However, on the part of the father, he is plotting some activity that will reassure his child that all is forgiven and has been forgotten.  One favorite activity of mine was going for an ice cream cone.  Other times, we would simply sit outside as I watched them play.  Still others, a trip to the park, the store, or some other activity.  Sometimes, it was simply sitting, reading a book or watching a program.  The separation kills the father more than it does his child.  The child is working through his spirit.  But dad has little to work through.  His heart breaks when his son or daughter is separated.  He is waiting to reunite, share a hug, and get things back to where they used to be.

This is what the LORD experiences every time He is forced to chasten us.  It bothers Him that we have been disobedient and He has to do something about it.  As the verse above testifies, the LORD is waiting for the time of reconciliation wherein grace abounds.  He is waiting to exercise mercy.  He looks forward to our brokenness that results in full spiritual and emotional restoration.  He is waiting!  Waiting for that time to be over that the goodness and grace of God may abound.