So we are reading about Abram who was promised to be the Father of many nations and so on. But with reduced patience and still no sign of God fulfilling this promise, what did he do? Sleep with his wife's maidservant to hurry the process along and take matters into his own hands.
As I write this, it strikes me that woah, duh! What was Abram thinking?! God does not have second best for us! Neither does He want us to mess up in the process. If God is promising you something, yet you find yourself having to sin in order to get it, then it's probably not God's best for you and probably not the way He is fulfilling your promise. When God promises something He promises the best - not something we have to settle for, or make do with. He is God, and what good Father wants second best for his children?
Anyways, that was an aside. But my real question is this; how can we be obedient in the mean time? How can we hold on to these promises when it gets tough and we are tempted? How can we hold on and wait and be patient? How do we curb our frustrations and not give in? So, in reference to my previous blog - I believe God has promised me a husband. But at the current time, there is no sign of him. It doesn't mean I'm happy waiting - it's hard work! And I often get it wrong - how do I wait patiently and not settle for something or someone who isn't God's best? I still don't know. (And again, this is not a sob story, I'm not crying myself to sleep at night - I'm just bein honest!)
But what I do know is this;
In Genesis 17:1 God says 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless'.
It's good to know God encourages us in our frustrations. He is GOD, GOD ALMIGHTY! He knows what He's doing. Yes the frustration, disappointment and waiting around might be hard going, but God is God! He knows best. And so nice of Him to remind us and encourage us in that. So 1) Recognise who God is!
Next, and this is just my own personal perspective on this, God tells Abram to 'walk before' Him. Why not behind? Why not at the side? Why doesn't God carry Him? Surely that would be best seeing as he seems pretty worn out by this point. Yet, if God is behind and Abram is walking before Him, it means that Father God can catch Abram when he falls. God knows we are human and we mess up. But He is there to catch us when we do, and set us on our feet again. Furthermore, if He is behind us, He can encourage us, spur us on and shout after us to keep going. If He did this infront of us, His voice would not be heard. Not only this but I think God wants us to learn to stand on our own two feet and to use the strength He has given us, not just rely on Him to drag us along like a dog lagging behind it's owner on a lead. No that's not what God is about. Point 2) Listen to God's ecouragement, and know He is going to catch you if you fall.
Finally God says; 'be blameless'. Urgh. This is the hardest of the lot. But it's there. No getting round this one. No loop holes. No fancy way to get out of this. It's written there. Be blameless. Our struggles and frustrations and anger and annoyance at God's timing are not an excuse to sin. No. We must be holy and blameless in all of this. But we are told this with the hind sight of knowing that our great God is behind us waiting to catch us if we fall, and spurring us on to keep going. Praise God! What a good God we serve. So, 3) Just do it, be blameless.
In conclusion then, and in addition to not settling for second best whilst waiting for the fulfilment of God's promises, what can we do?
1) Recognise who God is!
2) Listen to God's ecouragement, and know He is going to catch you if you fall.
3) Just do it, be blameless.
And, in reference to my waiting for my knight in shining armour and to make this personal, because this is my journey after all, what can I do...?
1) Recognise who God is! - God knows! He is God! He has the best man for me ever! Why ruin it with the wrong one? He does not disappoint. He is faithful. He is true to His word. His word does not come back empty but accomplishes what it sets out to do! (Isaiah 55:11).
2) Listen to God's ecouragement, and know He is going to catch ME if I fall. - I can just imagine Him spurring me on... 'Come on Caroline, you can do this, I believe in you...' And 'ok, ok my grace is sufficient, let me pick you up, I'll dust you off and we can have another shot at this'.
3) Just do it, be blameless. Enough said.
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