Hi Friends,
At least once or twice… or too many times to count we’ve made promises and people have made promises to us. Sometimes those promises went through and other times they fell through. There’s a reason why the Word says to put your trust in the Lord alone. He’s a promise keeper! Always, every single time, faithfully. If something isn’t happening it’s not Him because He holds His end, but we live in a real world with free will and choices we make along with others. Despite that, the Lord keeps promises and you can trust that!
This is taking TOO long
When it comes to promises patience just might be the first area everybody gets tested in. Whether or not you pass with flying colors is totally up to you. To me, patience and trust have to go hand in hand. You have to be patient! But here’s something that will help give you perspective.
Galatians 6:9 - So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
This is normally used in the context of seedtime and harvest but it applies here too. When God speaks to you, when a promise comes your way, when you read what the Word promises, your job is to keep doing as the Word says. Keep a good attitude, and when it’s the right time, the appointed time, it’ll come to pass.
We live in a “right now” society. We can order packages and have them at the door in a couple hours or the next morning. We can go to restaurants and get pickup orders in minutes instead of waiting to get seated. Everything we typically see makes us feel like everything needs to always be happening in an instant so as people most of us have grown to be impatient. We get frustrated and say “This is taking TOO long” when really your stinky attitude is half the holdup and the other half is timing. You don’t want the right thing at the wrong time. That’s like eating half cooked chicken because you were tired of waiting for your food to be ready. Let the chicken cook through. Let the promise cook through. It will be ready at the right time.
Why you shouldn’t take things into your own hands:
I’m going to paraphrase a Bible story I’ve heard growing up. For reference it takes place in Genesis 16, 17, 18, and 21.
There’s a man named Abram and Sarai. They are not the youngest in the bunch and have zero kids. The Lord promises a son to them. They’re already old and time passes, nothing happens. Abram and Sarai have a handmaiden named Hagar. Since Abram got impatient he took matters into his own hands and then had a baby with Hagar. That baby was named Ishmael. Ishamel was not the son that was promised to Abram and Sarai because it wasn’t Sarai’s bloodline either. Things get a little messy. Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, and then guess what… They had a baby and his name was Isaac.
Isaac was the promise, Ishmael was a work of the flesh. When you do something in the flesh it shows you didn’t trust the Lord. Abram pulled back on his trust. He knew he’d have a kid but the impatience got to him and he ended up with two boys and only one of them was Sarah’s and became the fore-bearer of the Jewish lineage.
Why did I tell you this story? So you don’t find yourself with an Ishmael when you can have just the Isaac. If you want to know more and understand the complications I encourage you to get in the Word and study the story. Uncomfortable situations and relationships could’ve been avoided had Abraham and Sarah been patient.
The Lord completed the promise to them on His timing. If you want something sooner than later, then do a heart evaluation and make sure you have burnt out what needs to be burnt out, clear yourself of offenses, etc. Make sure you’re a cooked piece of chicken!
Just trust the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Trust the Lord, don’t grow weary, keep doing what’s right, and be patient. You will get exactly what was promised to you at the right time and it’ll be everything you expected and more. You can trust the Lord. If something goes awry, the Lord has a redemption plan every time. But TRUST, TRUST, TRUST! He doesn’t lie! Now go get a piece of cooked chicken.
