Word of Encouragement (9/11/2020)

The third way of “applying the promises means eyeing them as Elijah’s servant eyed the sea in search of a rain cloud and waiting patiently for their fulfillment” (p. 62). Why is this important? “Because things do not materialize as expected and fulfillment is so long in coming people accuse God of lying and give up on waiting” (p. 62). How tragic that is! “The Lord has set a date and time for the fruition of His promises, but that is His timing, not ours. We must look to Him as the all-wise God and wait on Him with submission and contentment, for His timing is perfect; He is never late but is always on time” (p. 64). Should it surprise us that we have to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises? “[P]romises are not made and fulfilled at the same time, no more than sowing and reaping are on the same day’” (p. 64).

We also have to keep in mind that “when God promises something, He does not promise that sense and reason will precede or accompany the fulfillment” (p. 64). In other words, we most likely will not see the blueprint of how God is going to bring His promises to completion, from beginning to end. It may seem like nothing is happening for a long time. But we have already talked about how water reaches its boiling point: it may seem like nothing is happening until the water reaches its boiling point. This doesn’t mean that nothing is going on. The Lord is heating the water of His promise and, when it reaches the boiling point, we will finally be able to see vigorous and exciting movements of God, fulfilling His promise!

Why would God delay the fulfillment (at least to our perception)? The act of waiting has “a cleansing and purifying effect on our souls, which we may not perceive but which manifests itself in keeping us from evil things and from stumbling into sin…. As Spurstowe puts it, ‘And so may I say to them that complain [that] they ruminate often upon the promises in their thoughts, plead them in their prayers, read them in the Word, but yet find no benefit or fruit from them; that in so doing, they are not only more holy and free from lusts than others who neglect them; but far better than otherwise [they] themselves would be, should they not be employed in such spiritual and blessed services’” (p. 63).

I hope you are encouraged to wait patiently on the Lord! Have a blessed day!    

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