Typing the title to this article is easy to do, but isn’t always how we really feel. I’m correct by saying that, aren’t I? As believers in Jesus we are passionate about quoting the scriptures that encourage us; you know the Jeremiahs, the Deuteronomys and the Joshuas. God has a plan, God won’t leave us or forsake us and we need to be strong and courageous, knowing that God is with us everywhere we go. Are these verses true? You betcha. The only real concern is that our mood shifts and our feelings don’t always align themselves to the truth of God’s word. So today you’re more convinced than ever that God has you in His hand and will lead you. You say without any hesitation, that God is in control. Then, tomorrow,you get a speed wobble, as life challenges you, and the next thing you know, you’re convinced you’re unloved and that God has forgotten about you and in fact, the whole world is against you. God’s truth didn’t change, you changed. How is that not obvious to us all, yet we react like this often; the more severe the challenge, the more dramatically we confess God’s sudden neglect in our lives. It’s laughable. It’s embarrassing. Even Abraham had a speed wobble. A terrible one actually. God promised him a son, as his age neared the 100 mark. It wasn’t just a little Abraham promise. It was an Abraham and the whole world included sort of promise. The kind of promise where God got to say the awesome line “Is anything to hard for me?” Love it! The promise was so big, that God Himself cut covenant with Abraham in a superbly dramatic experience you can read in Genesis 15, from verse 9. The drama was high end, and having God tell you Himself that you must look up at the stars and try to count them, “…so shall your offspring be.” And despite the Creator of the Universe telling you He’s about to use you for something that traverses national boundaries and generations, you still think it’s better if you try and work this all out yourself. Have a read through Genesis 16. Wife Sarah decided on her husband’s behalf that God wasn’t quite keeping His promise like she believed He should and suggested Abraham help God along by having a child (as God had promised) with their maid-servant Hagar. Abraham went all ‘Indecent Proposal’ on us and didn’t even argue. He went for it and made a bit of a mess. Ishmael was born and it wasn’t even his fault, but he missed his rightful blessing and was sent away with his mother because of Sarah’s apparent protectiveness over her son Isaac. It’s all in Genesis 21 from verse 8.
If Abraham had such an enormous calling and promise spoken to him by God Himself and still dropped the faith ball when things seemed hopeless, let’s not beat ourselves up because we do it too. It’s not acceptable, but it happens, right? The key here is the truth that God will come through for us. He will. He has promised it, and no amount of confusion, or change in our current situation, attitude or finances or whatever, is going to change what God wants to and will do in your life. He still loves you, He still wants he best for you, and He is always there for you. We remain the problem, the stumbling blocks, the issue. We don’t like God’s timing or maybe even His ways, a la Sarah.
The challenge is out. Read God’s word, find his promises and believe them. Now know they are for you, trust in the timing of the Master, and just exercise a little patience already; it will be worth it!