How often do we find ourselves waiting on the Lord. Often! Our God has never acted like a genie in a bottle. He’s not here to serve us. He’s never presented Himself like a vending machine, available 24/7 just to take and answer our requests. We get frustrated when we pray and don’t hear the answer we want—or any answer for that matter. But the goal of prayer is not for us to get our way. Prayer has always been about the conversation; the relationship. But we’re not here to talk about prayer. We’re here to talk about God’s ability to finish what He starts.
If there is any shadow of doubt in God’s ability to do what He says He will do, think about this. This is the God who created the heavens and all that are in them. This is the God who dug and filled the seas by the word of His mouth. This God started the hands moving on time and will one day cause them to stop. He has blessed and frustrated nations according to His will. He knows the interior thoughts of every human heart because He made us in His image; He shaped us for His joy. Just for a minute, think about the intricate plans of our God and the macro ways He has satisfied and is satisfying every single plan.
I say these things to spur you on. Don’t give up! Keep waiting! Keep trusting! Our God is faithful to His promises to you. And just what are those promises? There are hundreds of them in the Bible, all of them equally strong and true. An overview might look like this: God promises to always be faithful to you. He promises to rescue you from the darkness that overwhelms you, if you trust Him. He promises to answer your asks and let you find what you are looking for. He promises to satisfy your insatiable thirst and fill your always empty belly. He promises His Spirit to everyone who believes in Him. He promises life for everyone who follows in Him. He promises joy to everyone who submits to Him as Lord. He promises to protect you, fill you, lead you and bring you into Himself. He promises to make you holy and to take you home to be with Him, to the place He’s prepared for you.
God’s purposes for you are as strong as His promises. Don’t worry for a minute about what He would have you do or how He would have you do it. I’m convinced we spend far too much time focused on details about our lives that we have no control over. We pour over this “yes” and that “no”, when all God asks for is our day to day obedience. We obsess over big pieces like who we should marry, where we should go to school and what job we should take. Most of those questions are answered in the process of obedience. We stress over little pieces like the tasks we accept in the church, the people in our lives we should share the Gospel with and when we should give generously to the causes presented us. Again, these pieces are almost always answered in the day to day process of obedience.
If God is always faithful and we always have needs to be met, why don’t we trust Him to meet them? If we can prove God’s ability to lead us to life, why do we resist when He leads? If we know the problem is with our own stubborn will, why do we fight when we are convicted? The answer is simple. We are a broken people. We always have been. But, if we trust the Lord, we won’t stay this way! One of the greatest promises God makes is to restore our broken, messed up lives for His glory. Will you let God work good in your life? Will you wait for Him to fix you and stop trying to fix yourself? Will you obey Him as He leads you or keep trying to make it on your own?
The questions have answers and they are good ones. The problems are real but so are the solutions. I pray today is the day you lay down your pride and ask God to begin the restoration process. I pray the time is ripe for you to trust Him to lead you forward. My promises aren’t nearly as stout as the Lord’s, nevertheless, I promise you won’t regret Him.