God’s Promises

God’s Appointed Time

God Answers You When You Least Expect IT

God has an appointed time for everything in our lives.  Everything.  Every situation, every promise, everything….has a God appointed time.  Yes, this also includes the end of our waiting.  In fact, Habakkuk 2:3 tells us, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”[i]

As we wait for God’s appointed time of our promised revelation, there is a myth that we need to strike from our hearts, and some points of fact that we need to ponder. So let’s dive right into the myth.  I believe that there is a key myth that Satan bombards us with during our time of waiting – That God has forgotten about us.  I can just hear Satan whispering in my ear, “God has sadly forgotten about you. I mean, look at the time that has elapsed between when He gave you the promise and the godly desires began to well up in your heart, to today.  It’s been a long time. I mean a really, really long time, and He has so many incredibly important things going on that He just forgot your little issue.”

These are nothing but lies. Our God who loves us enough to know the very number of hairs on our heads, and who catches each and every tear drop that falls from our eyes, has not forgotten about us. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us of this when it says, “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”[ii]  Although Satan would love us to believe differently, our God will never leave us, never forsake us, and never forget about us.  He simply can’t.  He loves us too much. We are imprinted into the very palms of His hands.

[i] NIV Habakkuk 2:3

[ii] NIV Deuteronomy 31:6

Cycle of Desires: God’s Promises – Part 2 of 5

 

Cycle of DesiresOur God-given desires are bolstered by God’s Promises.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”[i]  This is God’s precious Promise to us…that when we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the very desires of our heart.

Psalm 145:19 reiterates that promise by telling us that “He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him.”[ii]  I have always been encouraged by the fact that both verses use the word “desires” and not the word “desire.”  I would hate to have to narrow my desire list down to my one or two favorites!

But I am even more encouraged by the fact that no desire is ever placed in us by the Holy Spirit unless He intends to fulfill it.  He isn’t putting desires in our hearts just so He can squash our hopes and dreams like little bugs.  No!  He breathes heavenly life into our hearts so we continue to look forward with hope to the fulfillment of those things we long for the most.

We have a perfect example of God delivering on His Promises with Abraham.  God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2 that he would be the father of a “great nation”, and yet the months turned into years with no sign of fatherhood on the horizon.[iii] Eventually, Abraham bore a son with Hagar, but God again told him in Genesis 15:4, “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”[iv]  Again, more years pass by with no son.   At this point, the Lord called out to Abraham and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them…. [s]o shall your offspring be.”[v]

The years continue to drag on and at this point Abraham is 100 years old and Sarai, his wife, is 90 years old.  Now granted, people lived very long lives back in this day and age.  Even with that in mind, the 90-100 age range would not have one classified as a “spring chicken.”  In fact, at this point in her life, Sarai was medically unable to bear a child.

But God perhaps knowing how human doubt can creep in, again returned to Abraham and said, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.16  I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.  I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Not only was God specific about the blood line that would come from Sarah’s womb, he was also specific about the WHO and the WHEN.  In terms of the WHO, God had specific instructions for Abraham regarding the boy’s name, saying “your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.”[vi]  In terms of the WHEN, God was even specific in the timing saying, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”[vii]

In all, God came to Abraham four different times to reinforce His Promise for Abraham’s future.  And those promises all came true…down to the very last detail.  Even when everything looked bleak and the sun had set on what was medically possible, God’s promise was a guarantee.

[i] NIV Psalm 37:4

[ii] NIV Psalm 145:19

[iii] NIV Genesis 12:1-2

[iv] NIV Genesis 15:4

[v] NIV Genesis 15:5

[vi] NIV Genesis 17:15-19

[vii] NIV Genesis 18:10-14