Yesterday we talked about something that most of us have either been through or are currently going through: trying, and failing, at believing what God has promised beyond what we see now.
There’s something so encouraging and empowering when God gives us a glimpse into our future or a vision to do something brave like start a business, teach a class, build an app. It can also be a vision of something that isn’t easily visible to those around you – like healing in your body, restored marriage or release from depression or anxiety.
When God gives us the gift of seeing something great coming to pass in our future it tends to give us the courage and energy we need to keep pushing forward. Initially we are usually excited.
Initially.
In our faltering hope, we begin to tear down the promises God gave us.
But as time passes and life continues to seemingly remain the same, our hope in what the Lord has shown us begins to dwindle or become strained. We begin to question if we actually heard God say anything. Did I make that up in my head? Was that vision just my imagination? Maybe that word was for someone else and not for me. The longer we wait for our promise to come to pass, the longer we continue to look at or experience the same struggles, health issues, financial setbacks, crazy bosses, etc. the more our hearts begin to sink and we begin to respond out of alignment of God’s promise.
We say things like, “Maybe that vision was for my children. I’m not really big on being in front of crowds, anyways. I didn’t get a chance to finish school so I’m not actually qualified to do anything. Who’s going to listen to me? My ideas are never used. Most marriages end because of this, so what makes mine the exception? No ones ever been healed from this illness so I’m fairly certain I won’t be either.”
In our faltering hope, we begin to tear down the promises God gave us. To say back to God, “you were wrong because the world says it’s impossible for me.”
I want to look at three ways we tend to respond when our vision is not in line with Gods vision for our lives.
3 Ways We Respond
1. We scoff at God. (Gen. 18:9-15)
Just like Sarah, we can spiritually roll our eyes at God when He gives us a promise because it’s too difficult to allow it past the wall we’ve built up and into our hearts. It’s become easier to swat off the promises, just in case they don’t happen, than it is to have faith in the midst of the waiting.
2. We panic. (1 Kings 18:41-46)
In this instance Elijah heard the sound of a promise. That there would be rain coming to end the drought. God speaks to all of us in different ways and just because it isn’t visual doesn’t mean it isn’t a God-given promise. Elijah received a promise that wasn’t just for him, but for the entire land. His promise would affect hundreds, if not thousands of people around him and the knowledge of that, I believe, caused him to literally curl up in a ball and get a servant to be his eyes because he was too afraid of what the cost would be if God didn’t come through on his side of the deal. Especially since he announced what he heard.
I’m guilty of this. When I told my husband about this third one he said “that’s what you do!” Which in turn I told him I didn’t like him. Lol
Because of the different things I’ve experienced in my life it’s really hard for me to receive a blessing or promise from someone that God sends because it’s usually touching something that I’ve begun to let die. I’ve counted myself out due to education, finances, connections, appearance, etc. It always upsets me because I don’t want to hope for that thing again.
3. We become angry with God. (2 Kings 4:8-17)
This woman has wealth and seems to have the gift of hospitality. Her husband trusted her opinion in who stayed in their home and she enjoyed serving God’s people. It seems like she was a good hearted woman that truly tried to love people. When the prophet wanted to bless her because she had so blessed him, he struck a nerve.
He spoke life into a dream that had died in her heart a long time ago and the pain of it being tampered with was so great that she got mad and yelled at him. She received God’s promise as an insult because hope deferred made her heart sick. When she first told her husband about Elisha he was a “holy man of God” but by the end of the night he was a liar.
3 Ways To Help
1. Stop telling Jesus why something won’t work.
Any and every time you find yourself explaining to God why he chose the wrong person, it’s pride. It’s you believing you know better than he does and you’re essentially calling him a liar. Whatever God said is true and our job is to ask God to help us see ourselves as he does. We need to ask God what’s our next step and move forward from there. It may begin with writing, researching, studying, finding a mentor or even beginning counseling to help unwind some of the things that have you bound up.
2. Take a deep breath and know that it’s God’s job to bring the promise to pass.
We just have to do what God has prompted us to do and prepare, so we are ready when he says GO! If you know God gave you a promise to write, speak, build something, etc., learn about it. Listen to podcasts, figure out how to connect with people that are already in that lane.
3. Realize that a delayed dream is never to hurt you.
There is always a reason as to why there is space between vision and fruition. It can be character building, working on a sharp tongue, building the word in your soul so that it’s stronger than the environment you’re about to step in, it could also be that someone else is part of your vision and God is getting them ready. When you feel your heart beginning to become angry with God because you feel forgotten, TELL HIM. Tell him and then ask him to give you a fresh perspective on the promise and to restore your hope in HIM, not the thing promised you.
Discuss With Your Tribe
- Have you been given a promise that you know will impact the world around you and are freaking out about it? What’s causing you to freak out?
- Do you have an area/dream in your life that when God tries to breathe new life into it, your first thought is “Jesus, it would be so much easier to let it die.” If yes, why?
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