Recently, I was
pondering over all the wonderful promises that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ,
which really boasted my soul and spirit and was filled with overwhelming joy to
know God’s ordained plans for my future. But when I look at my present circumstances
it contradicts to what God has promised me. Then I wonder, whether I will ever experience
these promises of God in my life. Though I know for sure that My God is not a man
to lie, but I was still asking God how long I should wait to see his promises come
real in my life.
This waiting phase of life seems to me as a season
of drought, a path of wilderness and a stage of uncertainty. Gradually, a seed
of doubt and fear was sown in my heart, which started to ruin my mind; I had a feeling
of living a bitter and fruitless life. Suddenly the Holy Spirit of sovereign God interrupts my
thoughts and said “Dear child, do you know why as a child of God you have to go
through this waiting period, which you find so hard to endure even after
receiving Lord’s promise of blessings in your life?” I kept mum. Then He taught
me 3 reasons for why God allows this season of drought, this path of wilderness
and this stage of uncertainty before I could enjoy the blessings of God in
abundant.
The reasons are:
1. To display the
glorious power of the true living God through your life.
2. To make you
understand God’s faithfulness and His unfailing love towards you forever.
3. To prepare your
heart to receive God’s blessing with all humility knowing that these blessings
are only due to His grace.
He continued to teach
me the most important lesson from the lives of 3 Biblical characters; they also
came across the stage of uncertainty, season of drought and path of wilderness.
Through their lives the Holy Spirit of God taught me some do’s and don’ts and
warned me to be careful in the choices I take up during this period of waiting
upon the Lord for which I have consequences to face. I would like to share that
with you.
Don’t fear like Sarai
Genesis chapter 15 says The Lord’s Covenant with Abraham. We could see that Lord had promised Abraham a son at age of 80 and also prophesied about his descendant. Lord gave wonderful promises to Abraham when he was exactly in a stage of uncertainty but still the Father of Faith (Abraham) trusts the Lord and believes that his promises will come true. It is common for every good husband to share everything with his wife; obviously Abraham would have also shared and encouraged Sarah with promises of Lord.
Even after knowing firm plan of Lord, Sarah dares to ask her own husband to sleep with her servant (Genesis 16:1-4). Which no women will agree to do so but Sarah did that? Do you know what made poor Sarah to make such abominable decision against God’s own plan and will for her? It is her Fear that failed Sarah to trust the Lord. Fear is a powerful tool used by the enemy to destroy peaceful future which God has in store for us. Though our Lord forgives our mistake still we have to face its consequences. Even now there are constant conflicts between Ishmael descendant and Israel descendant. They remain mortal enemies for thousands of years.
Yes, if at all Sarah waited patiently with faith trusting the Lord who will fulfil His promises at His due time then today we might be able to hold God’s peace rather than battling with Ishmael descendant. But it’s all because of wrong choice of Sarah who gave room to fear during this period of waiting and made us to face the consequence even after many generations. So, wait for Lord who made everything beautiful in His time never choose to neither fear nor lean on your own understanding rather have FAITH and wait patiently for Lord’s time. Then you can inherit God’s promises in fullest with His peace.
Don’t doubt like Zechariah
There is another
couple in the New Testament who almost underwent similar circumstances of
experiencing season of drought for very long time which can be read in 1st
chapter of Luke. They are Elizabeth and Zechariah, the bible records clearly
that “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God,
observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But
they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were
both very old.”
Eventually the Angel
of God appears to Zechariah and promises him the most blessed and joyful future
through his son John, the Baptist. Angel of God guaranteed Zechariah
saying, “Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you are to call him John” and prophesied about the life of his son, John. Instead
of rejoicing, Zechariah was doubtful in the Lord’s promise and he questioned
the angel of Lord which provoked the anger of God’s angel so he punished Zechariah
to be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because Zechariah did not believe the
Lord’s words, which will come true at their appointed time. This seed of doubt crushed the happiness that Lord has promised. Doubt
is another powerful tool used by enemy to hinder the joyful future that God has
planned for us.
What a pathetic
condition it was for Zechariah because of His own unbelief he became mute and
he couldn’t even share it with his own wife about the feeling of becoming a
father. Never doubt God’s promises it will come true at his appointed time till
then wait patiently with faith. Instead of facing unnecessary pathetic
consequences because of your wrong choices of giving room to doubt and having unwavering
FAITH on the Lord, If suppose you wait hopefully
with full expectancy of God’s promises being fulfilled then you can enjoy
the waiting period too, with no regrets.
Do have faith like Mother Mary
As we have known well about
conversation of Gabriel (angel of God) with mother Mary and Promises of the saviour’s
Birth. This can be read in Luke 1 where Mary too went through the path of
wilderness till she gives birth to Jesus. Mary also questioned the angel of
Lord but it was not the question of doubt, it was a question of conforming
God’s promises, that’s why the angel of God confirmed it through the testimony
of Elizabeth to boost up the faith of Mary on the Lord.
Mary took the road which no women on this
earth has or had taken in their life. On
those days it is not at all at ease to be conceived before marriage, if so people
will stone them to death. Knowingly she risked her own life. She said to God,
“Let it be to me according to your word”. She was fully committed and totally surrendered
herself in fulfillment of God’s promises. Do you know what made ordinary Virgin
Mary to take up this courageous choice of facing the Consequences of this
world? It’s her unexceptional faith on the true living God which made her to
carry the son of God with the shadow of the Holy Spirit.
God himself took
responsibility to convince Joseph and made a beautiful life for humble Mary. As
Mary underwent this period of waiting to see Jesus she took the path of
wilderness with a heart of faith and song of praises (luke1:46-55). She neither
fears how it will happen nor doubted whether it will happen instead she
believed with her strong faith on the Lord and inherited God’s promises with
full of joy and without consequences.
Most
of the time, there’s a season of waiting involved in everyone’s life. Maybe
you’re waiting for a relationship to improve; waiting to get married; waiting
for a job; waiting for a promotion, or waiting to overcome an illness. Much of
life is spent waiting. But there’s a right way to wait with the right choice of
faith on the Lord and a wrong choice of fearing and doubting. Too often, when
things don’t happen on our timetable, we get down discouraged or anxious and
fretful. That’s because we give room to fear and doubt during the period of waiting but
learn to be careful that you have to face the consequences for your choices. So
never choose that wrong choice anymore but have faith on this unchanging God
who fulfils all His promises at His due time.
3 Tips for growing in
Faith on Lord and to be an over comer of all fears and doubts are:
Focus only on Jesus
and His promises not on your own ability or circumstances.
Look at yourself and
your circumstances through the eyes of Jesus.ie see yourself as God sees you.
Confess, pronounce and
declare the promise of Jesus Christ on your life everyday because there is a power of
life and death on your tongue.
So keep your thought,
sight and tongue under the blood cover of Jesus Christ and enjoy every moment
of your life with joy and happiness that the Lord has promised you every day.
(My dear young friends, this article was written by Ms. Ayshwarya. She is doing her PG studies in Bioinformatics. This article was edited by Ms. Joceline. GHG team thank Ms. Ayshwarya for the article and Ms. Joceline for editing. May God bless both of them. If you wish to send your article, mail it to goldenhandsofgrace@gmail.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment