Every morning, I look for a verse that God is speaking to me and share it, either via email, through social media, or text to a friend. Some mornings the verse means more to me than other mornings, and then there are some mornings, where it is as if the verse smacks me in the face, jump starts my heart and gets me excited to see how God will use that promise to me in scripture that day.
A verse recently hit me even harder than usual, as I was preparing to share a brief devotion and prayer time with a couple of friends, this verse begged to ask the question “what has God promised you that you are still waiting to see Him fulfill?” This question literally came to me about 3 minutes before the call began, and I, in that moment, could not come up with an answer. So as I began the call, I shared the question I believed He was asking and quite honestly challenging us to answer, but I did share that it was a question I believe we needed to think on and share later in the week, any answer we may have.
The older I get, the more I enjoy asking questions and having conversations that get a little deeper into people’s hearts, and for the first 40 years of my life, getting into the deep crevices of my own heart, was a place no one was allowed, even myself, and if I did find myself going there, I quickly found something else to think on. There was too much hurt, too many unanswered questions, too many regrets, too much shame, too much to try to uncover and heal, and I had convinced myself that it wasn’t worth it. And just as I had settled into the place of complacency, He slowly began to draw me out, He began to place people in my path that loved me for me, that were invested in me to be a better me, He called me into ministry where I felt completely unable, inadequate and had nothing to offer on my own, He began to slowly heal the hurts and wounds that for so long had defined me, He showered me with the Truth of His word at just the time I needed to hear it. As I opened up my heart, tiny scrap by tiny scrap and saw that what He had for me was good, I slowly began to let Him go deeper and deeper to the places that I had covered so well, places I didn’t believe would ever be unearthed.
Hebrews 6:15 “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”
This verse is what stirred the question “what has God promised you that you are still waiting to see him fulfill?” How many promises have I forgotten or discarded because I have not seen an immediate answer or believe is for someone else? How many promises do I believe are only for a certain situation and not for where I am currently? How many promises do I believe I am not worthy to receive because of who I am or the poor choices I have made?
Genesis 22:3 “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey… “ Abraham rose early, to take his son Isaac, that he had waited so long for, to do what God had asked him to do, to sacrifice him. He quickly obeyed what God had asked him to do, after finally receiving the promise of his son and now God was asking him to sacrifice him. Nothing in this story makes sense reading it thousands of years after it happened, let alone if you were living it in real time. Yet Abraham rose early and obeyed the unthinkable request God had made and He provided, a ram in the thicket to take the place of Isaac on the altar of sacrifice.
Once again, I ask myself the question, what has God promised me that has not been fulfilled? And I would have to say nothing – where I think the discrepancy lies, is in my own expectation of what I feel His fulfilled promise looks like and if I am truly being obedient to what He has asked of me.
He promises that He will take care of all of our needs – we have never been without.
He promises us that He will be a hedge of protection and no weapon formed against us will prosper – have there been some unpleasant times in our lives, yes, but we are still standing
He promises that by His stripes we are healed – emotionally, spiritually and physically, and at the end of the day, if we know Jesus, as personal Lord and Savior, we will be healed, either here on earth or when we meet Him face to face.
He promises us that Perfect Love drives out fear – when we allow fear to consume our thoughts over the Truth of His word, fear will win, but that is our choice, when we choose to focus on Perfect Love, Him, fear cannot exist
He promises that peace will outrun understanding – If we seek Him and His perfect peace, the questions of “why” that race in our heads are diminished and removed, leaving a wide open canvas for peace to set up camp.
He promises that ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love Him – He doesn’t promise that it will be easy, He promises that He will not allow us to go through anything that He won’t use to further His Kingdom and to make us stronger, and a louder mouthpiece for His goodness and faithfulness.
And the list of His promises can go on and on.
So I have a choice, to place my expectations as the requirement to His fulfilled promises, or to take a step back and list all the times He has not come through from me. I guarantee that list would be a blank sheet of paper.
As I continue to walk this planet, I want my legacy to be what is stated in Luke 1:45 “blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”
I have seen Him do it before and there is no reason to believe that He won’t do it again!!
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