Article written by my sister-in-Christ, M. Featherson
God’s promises coming to fruition can be years in the making. Has God given you a specific promise you’ve long awaited? Has your life kept moving along, and it feels like you’re not receiving what was promised to you? Are you struggling to believe the promise is coming?
Life is not always happening to us. When God is in the mix, and we’re surrendered to Him, that’s when life is happening for us. God is up to something, even in the wait. Meditate on the Scriptures below.
“For the word of God will never fail.” Luke 1:37 NLT
“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45 NLT
Trusting God’s Promises
To trust God and follow Him fully, faith must mark our lives (2 Corinthians 5:7). What does it mean to have faith mark our lives? It looks like
- Intimate knowledge of who God is
- Knowing God’s character
- Realizing who you are in Christ
- Reading, studying, and believing God’s written word
- Taking God at His word
- Daily communion with our Shepherd through the Holy Spirit
- Developing a lifestyle that is willing to die daily to self and being bent and yielded to the Holy Spirit
Allowing faith to mark our lives doesn’t happen haphazardly. We must surrender to God’s will daily. We must realize that God has the intel and will lead and direct us.
Choosing to be an active and willing participant in God’s plan is just that: a choice – even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it’s hard, and even when His promises are years in the making.
Trusting God While Awaiting His Promises
For years, I have been earnestly talking to the Lord about two relationships I desired more from. As time continued to pass without change, I transitioned to casually speaking to Him. I began to believe the “ok” relationships were what God wanted for me.
Leaning on my own understanding as I looked at the dynamics of the relationships caused me to lose focus on what God had promised me. But I was reminded that these were not casual acquaintances but close family members. God had blessed and ordained these relationships by hand-picking these individuals to be in my life.
There are many people in the Bible to who God gave specific promises – and those promises were not fulfilled overnight. Many of God’s promises took years before they came to fruition and required people to be active, willing participants.
Recently, the Lord placed a thought in my mind about the life of Caleb. The Bible says Caleb had “a different spirit and followed God wholeheartedly.” Because of this, God promised to bring him and his descendants into the promised land to possess it (Numbers 14:24).
Joshua and Caleb were among the twelve spies sent to investigate the promised land after the great exodus from Egypt (Numbers 13 and 14). Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report. Caleb encouraged the Israelites to believe and obey God by possessing the land.
“And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” Numbers 14:8-9 NLT
Standing Firm in Faith as we Wait for God’s Promises
Joshua and Caleb were the only two that stood in faith. Caleb believed God would do what He said He would do.
When we stand in faith, God always stands with us, honoring our faith.
The other ten spies gave a fretful report and shrunk back in fear. They were so scared that they talked about appointing someone else in Moses’ place to take them back to slavery in Egypt (Numbers 14:3-4).
Their unwillingness to move forward in obedience resulted in an entire generation wandering in the wilderness for forty years, loss of life, and no entry into the promised land. Of that generation, only Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land (Numbers 14:22-35).
When we disobey God’s plans for our lives, we may inadvertently cause the promise to take longer to come to fruition. We can unintentionally cause others to be affected by our choices. We may even suffer the consequences of others’ sins like Caleb suffered for forty years. Or, we may lose out on the promise, like the unbelieving Israelites.
Did you notice that the forty years of wandering in the wilderness equaled one year for each of the forty days they spied out the land? The other ten spies “died by the plague before the LORD,” we learn in Numbers 14:36-37.
Taking Possession of God’s Promises
“…Let God be true but every man a liar” – Romans 3:4 NKJV
Caleb was forty years old when he spied out the land (Joshua 14-15). At age eight-five, he was fully able and ready to claim what was promised. Through the difficult journey, Caleb fully trusted God. Caleb asked for and received his land – the land God promised him.
“Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord.” Deuteronomy 1:35-36 NKJV
Looking back at my situation, God spoke, and I finally heard. He showed me my relationships through His lens. God never asked me to control these individuals. He simply wanted me to love them without judgment, reservations, or expectations. God also told me that I needed to ask their forgiveness for not accepting them as they are.
When I obeyed God, I began to experience such joy from these relationships. Repentance is so freeing and opens you up to receive what God has planned for you. These relationships are now filled with acceptance and joy.
The message God is conveying to me and you is simple: trust God!
Caleb trusted God. What will be your testimony?
Will you hear, believe, and obey God?
“So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” – Acts of the Apostles 27:25 NLT
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, thank you for being my loving and faithful Father, and thank you for knowing the way that I should take. Please forgive me when I lean on my understanding instead of standing on Your truths.
May I focus on You and not the daily distractions or sins that so easily entangle me. I want to run the race that You have carved out for me, fixing my eyes only on You. I choose You and Your way even through difficulties and hardships, knowing I can trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
About Michele
Michele Featherson is a lover of Jesus Christ, wife to her best friend of 29 years, and mother to two amazing, God-fearing sons. One of her greatest desires is to change the lives of people, both young and old, through sharing God’s Word. She enjoys breaking Biblical principles down so others can understand and apply them to their lives. Michele is the creator of Michminutes, an Instagram page that offers a daily word of inspiration. She believes that although our lives may be busy, we are never too busy to talk with the Triune God.
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