Has God made you a promise? Are you waiting on God for something? Are you beginning to doubt that what you need will come? That God has forgotten? Well, I am here to tell you that He has not forgotten you and what you need will come. God will keep His promises to you.
God is Faithful
“He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.” Thessalonians 5:24 (NKJV)
This is a truth about God declared to us in the Word by Paul. God is faithful, He does not lie and what He says He will do, He will do. In Isaiah 55:11, the Lord promises that the word that He says will accomplish that which He has purposed for it, it will not return to Him void.
How many times have you told someone that you will do something for them? Perhaps something as simple as turning up for a party or something as big as giving them money, but you failed to do so? In those moments your word comes back void, empty, because it did not do what it said it would. But God? He is not like that. He keeps His word and it never returns void. You just have to look to creation to see this is true.
In Genesis God declared “Be fruitful and multiply…” to us and to all the creatures and flora of the world and that is what has been happening since the beginning of time. Trees have been fruitful and multiplying, animals have been multiplying, we have been multiplying. If His word has been able to keep over centuries and billions of years does it no go to say that He will keep His promise to you for this week, month or year?
Okay, you might say, I know God is faithful and I know that He will keep His promise but I have been waiting for so long and it’s starting to look like He’s not going to pull through. What do I do about it?
Don’t Listen to Other Voices
Waiting on the Lord can be quite difficult, I know. It is even worse when the situation and people around you are telling you something contrary to what God has spoken to you, when your own doubts are telling you to find another way. But you must not listen to those other voices; they will only create trouble for you. Look at Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham was growing old and he did not have an heir of his own blood to take over from him. He was considering having a servant named Eliezer take over his household. But the Lord spoke to him and told him not to worry, that his heir would come from his own house.
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying “This one shall not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body shall be your heir!”
Genesis 15:4 (NKJV)
However, instead of remembering God’s promise and waiting on His word, Abraham became impatient. He listened to other voices, namely the voice of his wife Sarah who suggested that her maidservant Hagar give Abraham a child on her behalf, when she saw that she hadn’t conceived. (Genesis 16:2) And Abraham listened to her. What happened as a result? Strife was created between Sarah and her maid Hagar. (Genesis 16:4)
If you rush the process you’ll create trouble for yourself. For example, if God has promised you money and it looks like He’s delaying, don’t borrow! Not only could you end up in debt unnecessarily but the money you borrow will be second best to what God would have provided. Always trust that God knows best and remember that He has the God’s eye-view (ha ha) so He can see more than you. God also provides for you better than you can provide for yourself. So why not trust in His provision instead?
God is Preparing You
Whilst you wait for the promises of the Lord to come to pass, you must also bear in mind that He may be preparing you; moulding you so that you are in a position to receive your promise. Sometimes it is a renewal of the mind that needs to take place, or you need to be at a certain spiritual level or He simply needs to put the people who will help you into position.
If you look again at the story of Abraham and Sarah you will notice that before Isaac was born several vital things took place. Abraham and Sarah’s names were changed and both were given the title of father and mother of nations. (Genesis 17:5, 17:15-16) and then God also introduced the circumcision (Genesis 17:13) which would ensure that all Abraham’s descendants would be under God’s Covenant. God was positioning Abraham and Sarah in such a way that they would be able to carry forward the descendant He promised.
The one thing I have learnt about the Lord is that He takes time, not because He is a lazy God or because He is reluctant but because He is carefully working everything together for you and preparing you for your new situation. Perhaps your money has not come yet because you still have the mentality of a poor person or the habits of a wasteful person. Perhaps your business hasn’t started because God has not yet supplied you with all the things and people you’ll need. God will fulfil His promise to you but you also need to be prepared and in a position to receive it.
Do Not Look to the Natural
Another important thing to bear in mind as you wait on the Lord is that you cannot look at the natural; do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Sarah and Abraham did that. Both of them were old and Sarah was past the childbearing age (Genesis 18:11) and when God said that Sarah would bear a child both of them laughed! But sure enough, Sarah bore a child (Genesis 21:1) and both she and Abraham became mother and father of a great number of descendants.
When God makes you a promise do not laugh or scoff. Do not look to the natural and do not lean on your own understanding. His ways and thoughts are higher than our own, (Isaiah 55:8-9) which means that He can see far ahead and far deeper than we ever could. If He says that He will feed you but all around you others are starving trust that He will feed you. If He says that He will make you prosperous, but you only see lack, trust that He will make you prosperous. That’s what Isaac did, he went to dwell in a land where there was famine (Genesis 26:1) and yet when he sowed in that land he reaped a hundredfold! (Genesis 26:12) You can do the same!
Nothing Is Too Hard for the Lord
Finally, as you wait you must encourage yourself and remember Genesis 18:14 which asks “Is anything too hard for the Lord?…” (NKJV) Think about that for a minute. God is the God of heaven and earth, creator of the universe, and all you see around you…if so surely nothing is too impossible for Him. Now just think of your own life and the number of times that God has shocked and amazed you by defying the odds and man’s understanding. That day God promised to give you money when you really needed it but it was evident that there was no way you could get it and yet He provided. The job God promised you that you thought you were unqualified for but got anyway. With God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27). If He did it before, He’ll do it again.
Beloved, our God is an awesome God, great in power and might. He can do anything. What’s more? He loves you. God loves you and His plans for you are good. (Jeremiah 29:11) If that is so, why would He disappoint you or lie to you? God is faithful and true, His words do not return void and He will fulfil His promises to you. Just take His word for it.
