This year I've been studying through the book of Isaiah in Bible Study Fellowship. Throughout the year there has been one verse the Lord has kept bringing me back to. Actually, it is a portion of a verse:

So often as we seek to see God's hand rend the heavens and bring revival to a greater portion of His Church, to bring revival in a greater scale, we can be tempted to be discouraged, but this verse gives us cause to be assured of God's sovereign hand upon us, upon His Church, even as we wait upon Him. As we consider our Lord may we be strengthened to continue to seek His face for revival in our own lives, in our congregations and denominations as well as in the Church at large throughout the world. As we seek Him in the darkness, may His words to us here provide encouragement and sustenance to us as we watch and wait for Him to come again in glory to revive us again.

WHEN - First we have the assurance the Lord's work will be finished. So we don't read "IF the Lord might finish..." but rather "WHEN the Lord has finished..." And so let us be comforted that the Lord's work is all under His sovereign hand and it will all happen in His sovereign time according to the counsel of His will for His glory and the good of those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. Every delay in His coming has been divinely ordained by His strong arm.

THE LORD - Who is it who will do this work? The Lord. THE Lord. The Lord of lords.

Now, who is the Lord? Just looking ahead a few verses in this same chapter we find the Lord to be the Lord GOD of hosts, the Light of Israel, the Holy One, the mighty God. May we consider our God who is the God of hosts and is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Let us consider our God who is Light and in Him is no darkness. Let us consider He is the God who has cleansed us from our sins by the blood of Christ, clothed us with His righteousness and has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light to proclaim His praises. Let us consider our God who is the Light of Israel, His chosen people, His Church today, and we have been called out who were not His people to be His people – not because of anything in us, but we are His people and He is our God only because of His electing, sovereign grace, all to His glory alone. Consider how we have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world! Let us consider this Lord who is our God and who has chosen and adopted us  is continuing to guard and keep and watch over us, His Church, even in these dark times. Consider that He will never leave or forsake us! Consider how He is faithful even when we are not! Consider that nothing can separate us from His love for us in Christ Jesus! Consider this God who is Holy, Holy, Holy! Consider how He sent His only begotten sinless Son to die for our sin to bring us back to Him. Consider His might and power! May we not limit Him and forget He is the God for whom nothing is impossible! Let us remember His works! Let us remember He is the God who does wonders! Let us not forget His benefits!

HAS FINISHED - Not "might finish" or "perhaps will finish" or "may finish." There is a definite assurance and confidence for the people of God who were under attack and threat at the time these words were spoken, and they provide the same assurance and confidence for us today, a definite promise that the work He has begun in His people will be finished. We can look back in history to see how God's words here regarding Judah were fulfilled just as He said, and we can have the same hope today as we look to these exceeding great and precious promises from His Word.

ALL HIS WORK - Again, another wonderful assurance to us. Not just SOME of the work, but ALL His work. Our God has a definite purpose in mind for His Church as a whole and for each one of us as individuals. We do not know His mind, we cannot be His counselor in these things. His judgments are inscrutable and His ways past finding out. Though His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, we do know that all His workings are for His glory, our good, our refining, the furtherance of the Gospel and the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know His love for us endures forever. Therefore we can take heart in any delay or in any trial or in any chastening or in any suffering – for we know it is ALL HIS WORK, it is all coming to us through His sovereign hand. We can be encouraged to know that ALL HIS WORK for all His Church must be accomplished in His way and in His time – and that none of that work is unnecessary work. No matter the circumstance, no matter the darkness, we know His Spirit continues to hover over the waters, no matter how turbulent, no matter how high, no matter how deep, no matter how stagnant they might be. Therefore, as we are tempted to become anxious or weary or doubting in waiting upon Him, may we take heart that any delay or any sorrow or any suffering is due to His desire for us and His intention to complete all His work in us.

ON MOUNT ZION AND ON JERUSALEM - One more assurance I would like to leave you with today:  the Lord is working on behalf of MOUNT ZION AND JERUSALEM - which in this time means He is working for all those who are spiritual Israel, all who have been saved with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by grace alone through faith alone. If we are Christ's we are Abraham's seed according to the promise (see Gal. 3). We can often be tempted to question and doubt and wonder what the Lord is doing as we look around at the sin in our lives, in the world and in our churches. We can often be tempted to question and doubt and wonder as we look at perplexing events and trying circumstances in our own lives, in the world and in the church. However, when we are mindful that the Lord is ever mindful of us – as we consider that the Lord's desire has always been and will always be for Mount Zion and Jerusalem – we will be greatly comforted to persevere in the work He has for us. As we look out and see many events in the world that seem to us haphazard or disheartening and even so contrary to God's purposes, we can be assured each and every one of them is ordained by the Lord and they are all an outworking for His love for Mount Zion and Jerusalem - for us, for the elect, for the Church today. They are all part of the Lord's plan to FINISH ALL HIS WORK ON MOUNT ZION AND ON JERUSALEM.

May God's words to His chosen people provide us with strong consolation this day and every day.

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, that we are Your offspring by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We thank You for Your words to encourage us to persevere as we seek You in prayer:

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, though You have hidden Yourself today, though we have prayed and we may not have heard Your answer this day, yet You have assured us with Your words:

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, though we seek day after day, though we labor in prayer day after day, and though we may feel it to be in vain, yet You have assured us with Your words:

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, though we are weak, You have condescended to us for You have known our frame and You have remembered we are dust, and You have given us Your assuring words:

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, though there are times we faint and we do not pray as we ought, You persevere with us. Forgive us, O God of Israel, for our unfaithfulness. Thank You, for Your faithfulness. Thank You that You never faint. We praise and thank You for Your words given to us to so we might persevere in prayer:

We praise and thank You, O God of Israel, though there are times we do not pray as we ought and we faint, You persevere with us. Forgive us, O God of Israel, for our unfaithfulness. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that You continue to pray for us. We praise and thank You for Your words given to us so we might persevere in prayer:

O God of Israel, Come to us, strengthen us in our labor in You – equip us for this work of seeking You, this work of prayer – so we might be steadfast, immovable and always abounding in this work of prayer – for we know that our seeking You, our labor in You, is never in vain. We hold onto and rest in Your sure promise to us:

Amen.

Isaiah 31
1  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the LORD!
2  And yet he is wise and brings disaster;
he does not call back his words,
but will arise against the house of the evildoers
and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.
3  The Egyptians are man, and not God,
and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
and they will all perish together.
4  For thus the LORD said to me,
“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
is not terrified by their shouting
or daunted at their noise,
so the LORD of hosts will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5  Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it.”

LORD of hosts, forgive us for trusting in men and flesh and not trusting in You and Your Spirit.
LORD of hosts, forgive us for looking to men and flesh and not looking to You and Your Spirit.
LORD of hosts, forgive us for consulting men and flesh and not consulting You and Your Spirit.
LORD of hosts, forgive us for relying on men and flesh and not relying on You and Your Spirit.
LORD of hosts, forgive us for seeking help from men and flesh rather than from You, our Helper.

LORD of hosts, grant us grace to trust in You and You alone.
LORD of hosts, grant us grace to look to You and You alone.
LORD of hosts, grant us grace to consult You and You alone.
LORD of hosts, grant us grace to rely on You and You alone.
LORD of hosts, grant us grace to seek help from You and You alone.

LORD of hosts, see our affliction, hear our cries.
LORD of hosts, come down to fight for Your people, Your Church.

LORD of hosts, what a wonder it is that You loved us and chose us and sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners!
LORD of hosts, what a wonder it is that You continue to be merciful to us and will spare us!
LORD of hosts, what a wonder it is that You continue to be gracious to us us and will come down to fight for us!
LORD of hosts, what a wonder it is that You love us so much that You long to come down to protect and deliver and rescue us!

LORD of hosts, see our affliction, hear our cries.
LORD of hosts, come down to fight for Your people, Your Church.

LORD of hosts, we confess we are a reproach to Your holy Name.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and we have no one else to trust in.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and we have no one else to look to.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and we have no else to consult.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and we have no one else to rely on.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and we have no other helper.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are God and there is no other god who is loving and merciful and gracious and powerful like You.
LORD of hosts, we confess You alone are our Redeemer.

LORD of hosts, see our affliction, hear our cries.
LORD of hosts, come down to fight for Your people, Your Church.

LORD of hosts, come down for the sake of Your holy Name and for Jesus' sake.
LORD of hosts, come down so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone.

LORD of hosts, come down and fight for us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for the elect in all the nations.
LORD of hosts, come down and hover over us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for the elect in all the nations.
LORD of hosts, come down and protect us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for the elect in all the nations.
LORD of hosts, come down and deliver us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for all the elect in all the nations.
LORD of hosts, come down and spare us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for all the elect in all the nations.
LORD of hosts, come down and rescue us, Your Church, for Your own sake, Jesus' sake and for all the elect in all the nations.

LORD of hosts, see our affliction, hear our cries.
LORD of hosts, come down to fight for Your people, Your Church.