How long will you wait on the promise? That’s a question that many would outright say, “as long as it takes!” That maybe a real answer for some, but a “textbook” answer for others. What happens if along the way to the promise, unanticipated things happen?
I am reminded of the children of Israel. They received a promise from God, concerning their promise land. He described to them what they would experience and what they had to do to get there; however along the way, unanticipated things happened.
From the moment they crossed the Red Sea, they encountered challenges that came to deter them from getting to the promise land. These challenges came as a result of a few people who instigated doubt to what God said or God’s Messenger Moses said; causing them to doubt God’s word. For instance, during their journey, they believed God was going to take care of them every step of the way, but when there was no water to drink and no food to eat, they began to murmur and complain against God. Each time God manifested provision for them, in spite of their murmuring. He always reassured His people that He was faithful to His word.
In another instance, God reaffirmed His promise when He sent the 12 spies into the promise land and only 2 came back with the faith to believe they could possess it. Ten spies spoke doubt and fear, which caused the people to doubt their promise and the other 2 spies spoke the faith needed to inhabit the promise. This scene concluded with God handing down judgment upon the nation, causing all those who doubted, to die off during their 40 years in the wilderness and allowing their children to inherit the promise. This goes to show us, that God may promise us something, but if we doubt him long enough, we may never see the promise fulfilled in our lives.
You will never know what you will encounter, during your journey to the promise. There will be times in your life that great challenges come. They may come through events that happen in your life or people that may be a part of your life. The challenges come to distract you from your journey, to cause you to make a detour. Some will stop and get stuck at that moment of challenge. Some will stop and turn back, at that moment of challenge. Others will stop, look at the challenge and see God in the midst, giving comfort and hope that somehow this challenge will produce something in them, that will equip them for the promise. At some point during that moment of challenge, the doubting season, you must find God and His reassurance of the promise. He will send trickles of reminders your way to remind you of what He has promised; at moments when you need them most, when you least expect it, God!
Romans 8:28 says… “And we know that all things work together for Good to them that love God and to them who are the Called according to His Purpose.”
I must say, I don’t understand how God can take a situation that is so traumatic in our lives and make good out of it. How He will plan out paths that we will take, moments in our lives, decisions we will make, interject people in our lives at strategic points; creating moments of evolution in us that cause our experiences to produce the faith to look beyond the pain, and see the promise.
You may find yourself in this situation, encountering challenges on the way to the promise. Take courage my brother and my sister. These moments are truly meant as preparation moments, moments of cultivation, character building and faith strengthening. God has a plan that we know not how it will all play out in the end. All you can do is believe. Believe that He is faithful to what he promised. Believe that He cannot lie. Believe that some way, some how, things will work out and before you know it, you will be an inhabitant of the promise. Only Believe!