Isaiah 15

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:

“ In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

But you would not,

16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—

Therefore you shall flee!

And, “We will ride on swift horses”—

Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!

17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,

At the threat of five you shall flee,

Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain

And as a banner on a hill.
18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;

A lot of times my first reaction after a bad day is to run anywhere but to God. Then when it doesn’t work out is when I ask Him for help. I think that sometimes I want to prove that Im a “big girl” and I can handle it. Or like kind of like its ok God I got this, don’t worry about me. But I have been so wrong. I can hear God telling me this lovingly and calmly,
“ In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

Then I hear him get sort of like that angry/hurt tone that people get.
But you would not, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill.

Then I hear Him kind of sad when he tells me,
Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;

God is just waiting for us you know. We make things so complicated. The only way to victory is through him. Blessed are those like David, who knew that they had to run to God for help regardless of how sinful he felt. Or people like Esther who didn’t try to save the people on her own, but knew that she needed to run to God. Even Jesus, who made time to separate himself to be with God bc he knew that was the only way he was going to make it.

God is a jealous God. And he will wait until we are smart enough, and humble enough, to let Him help us in all that we do. Until that point, he waits broken-hearted and eager, for us to come to Him. Then the only banner on a hill will be your defeated thing.