Long for, wait expectantly for the Lord for clarity (Hosea 10:12, Isaiah 30:18-22)

Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. -  Hosea 10:12 

• The idea of "breaking up my unplowed ground" is wonderful and impossible without God. Receiving a fresh word from the Lord, preparing our hearts (Jer 4:3)
• The Easter message at church was on Romans 10, God makes saving faith available to all people, yet some reject it. Troy's big idea was that people misunderstand what being a Christian is. 
• Often times we want to reap the fruit and blessing but miss that it comes from "seeking the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain"

Isaiah 30:18 is interesting. The LORD is longing for us, who are longing for him. Watching for plants to grow and bloom in the spring and summer. My friend Javon had vision of flower growing in terrible conditions (wind, hail storm, cement ground). A person interpreted it as a picture of him growing. We gave out Jesus Centered Bibles and 101 promises from Psalms cards. Encouraging each guy at TC to share what they are learning with eachother, change the themselves and their world. 

 "So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help." NLT

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" NIV

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." ESV

"Therefore the LORD waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them]." AMP

To "long for" something means to have a strong, often heartfelt or persistent, desire or craving for it, especially something that might be unattainable or not readily available. It implies a deeper level of wanting than a simple "want" or "desire". The feeling can be likened to a yearning or pining for something. 

• Strong Desire: It's not just a casual wish; it's a deep and powerful yearning. 
• Persistence: The longing might be for something that's distant in time or space, or even something that's not currently possible. 
• Emotional Connection: It often involves a sentimental or emotional attachment to the desired object or experience. 
• Can be about past, present, or future: It can be a longing for something in the past (nostalgia), for something present (a specific need or want), or for something in the future (a desired outcome). 

Psalm 37:34 - Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Lamentations 3:25-26 - The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. / It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Psalm 27:14 - Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!

Psalm 130:5 - I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

James 5:7-8 - Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. / You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

Psalm 33:20 - Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield (faith).

Psalm 62:5  -  Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him.

Isaiah 40:31 -  But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Habakkuk 2:3 - For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.

Romans 8:24-25 - For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? / But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

Hebrews 10:36 - You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

Psalm 25:3 - Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.

Psalm 25:21 - May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.

Isaiah 30:19-22 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

    you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

    He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

    and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

    You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear him.

    Right behind you a voice will say,

“This is the way you should go,”

    whether to the right or to the left.

Then you will destroy all your silver idols

    and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

    saying to them, “Good riddance!”

Lord I see where you are pointing me, thank you for still teaching me, graciously guiding me and helping me take the next step of faith. Help me to wait for you, to have patience and trust in your word - not relying on myself, but putting my life in your hands. Help me to trust and obey. In Jesus name. 

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To see truth and listen with clarity (Isaiah 32:3)

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Isaiah 32:3 NIV

Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Isaiah 32:3 NLT

BibleHub has this verse linked to Isaiah 29:18 and Isaiah 35:5

A) Living humbly with the Lord brings fresh joy and understanding as we rejoice in Jesus (Isaiah 29:11-24). Everyone's choice: sacrilege or coram Deo

Study notes:
Isaiah 29:11-12, All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, “We can’t read it because it is sealed.” When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, “We don’t know how to read.”
 - 13) they say "I belong to the Lord", but their hearts are far from him, worship is man-made rules learned by rote (Mark 7:7)
 - 14 So the Lord astounds hypocrites with amazing wonders. Wise and learned pass away, frustrated (I Cor 1:18,19,20  Isaiah 29:14)
 - 15) Sorrow awaits those hiding from the Lord who sees everything we do and plan
 - 16) He created us for his purpose
 - 17-18) soon arid land fertile, deaf will hear words read from a book and blind will see through gloom and darkness
 - 19) humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord, poor will rejoice in Holy One of Israel (Jesus)
20-21) GONE will be: scoffer, arrogant, evil plotters, liers, those who pervert justice, tell lies to destroy innocent
22-23) Lord who redeemed Abraham, to people of Israel: no longer ashamed, fearful but blessed with children - recognize the Holy One of Jacob.
24) Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction.

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Heavenly trinity, DNA of eternal life and humanity's only hope (Dali painting)

This painting by Dali "Galacidalacideoxiribunucleiacid (Homage to Crick and Watson)" shows God reaching down from heaven, resurrecting his deceased Son Jesus whose death is humanities only hope for life. The painting is huge the figure at the bottom looking on is life scale picture of Gala. 

'..the “life” spiral contrasts with the “death” cube. God’s resurrection of His Son in the center of the painting is the key to hope..'

Dalí boasted of the work’s title and importance, “It is the longest title in one word. But the theme is even longer: “long as the genetical persistence of human memory.”

Prophecy points to Jesus atonement for sins, to life with God restored

Father God reaching down, holding Jesus

Top 40 Most Helpful Messianic Prophecies
Jesus said to his disciples after his resurrection;

“How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said!  Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?” And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets…. They said to each other, “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:25-27 NIV, Luke 24:32 NIV)

Messiah would be human (Gen 3:15), fulfilled in Jesus (Romans 16:20; Gal 4:4; Rev 12:9;12:17)
Messiah from Abraham, all nations blessed (Gen 12:3), fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 3:24-26)
Messiah would be willing sacrifice (Gen 22:1-18), fulfilled in Jesus (John 3:16)
Messiah from Judah, scepter belongs (Gen 49:10), fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 2:1-7; 3:33; Gal 4:4)
Messiah would be Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1-51), fulfilled in Jesus (John 1:29,36;19:33,36;1 Cor 5:7-8;1 Peter 1:19)
Messiah would be lifted up (Numbers 21:6-9), fulfilled in Jesus (John 3:14-18)
Messiah a star from Jacob (Numbers 24:17), fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 2:2, Rev 22:16)
Messiah a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19), fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 7:29;Mark 1:22;13:57;21:46; Luke 24:19; John 1:21,25;6:14;Acts 3:22; 28:28)
Messiah Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth 4:4-9), fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 1:50,58,68,72,78; 1 Peter 1:18;Heb 2:11)
Messiah descendant of David (2 Sam 7:12-16), fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 1:1, Luke 1:32-33; Acts 15:15-16; Heb 1:5)
Messiah called God's Son (Psalm 2:1-12), fulfilled in Jesus (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; Acts 4:25-28; 13:33; Heb 1:5;5:5)
Messiah resurrected (Psalm 16:8-11), fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 2:22-32; 13:23-37)
Messiah forsaken and pieced but vindicated (Psalm 22:1-31; Daniel 9:24-26), fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 27:39; 27:43-44,46;Mark 15:34;John 19;24; Heb 2:12)

The life, death and resurrection of Jesus for your salvation into eternal life foretold so long ago and the end is happening now;
Daniel 12:1-7
...Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. 2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?”

7 The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.”

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