What do you do when the word God gave you doesn’t look like it will come to pass?
Do you discard it and say it must not have been from God? Do you get frustrated with the Lord and begin to doubt his ability to fulfill his word? Or do you stand on God’s word based on his faithful track record?
I’m sure we would like to have the third response all the time, but if we are honest, one of the first two responses has belonged to us at some point in our walk. It takes faith to stand on God’s word regardless of the situations before us. And walking by faith and not by sight can pose a challenge at times. Our circumstances can begin to speak louder than His word and tell us the Lord will not come through on what he said. In those cases, we have to trust the character of our God.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 ESV)
The Lord is faithful to perform his word. If he has spoken anything to us, we can rest in the fact that he will fulfill what he has spoken. It’s a guarantee because our God does not lie. He does not speak vain words. Every word that precedes from his mouth never comes back void. It accomplishes what He set out for it to do (Isaiah 55:11).
Has the Lord spoken a particular word to you that doesn’t look like it will manifest anytime soon? Have you been waiting weeks, months, or even years for it to come to pass? I want to encourage you today to hold fast to the word of the Lord concerning your life. Continue to stand in faith and believe that our God is faithful to his word and to us as his children. When doubt rises in your heart, speak truth; “God is not a man that he should lie.” Though there is a great temptation for us to project man’s failure to remain faithful to their word onto God, we have to strive not to do this. God is not man, and we have to work at not responding to him as such.
I know I have been guilty of saying I’m going to do something and don’t follow through with it. I’m so thankful to know the Lord is not like me. He will act on what he says. So trust him, saints. Though the promise of his word tarries, wait for it. In the fullness of time, it will come to pass.
Digging Deeper
- When was the last time you reviewed the promises that God has given you specifically? What could consistently reviewing these promises do for you?
- The promises of God produce hope. Hope is the great expectation of a future reality. We hope for it because it hasn’t happened yet. What are some practical ways you can stir up hope in your heart and mind concerning the promises of God?