Don't Give up on God as He Will Do What He Promised You!

Have you ever found yourself in a place or position where you could not understand what God was doing?  Maybe God has given you a word about your calling and it seems that He is leading you in the opposite direction.  Or maybe God has promised you something, but it is taking a long time or circumstances seem to say it is not likely to happen.  You are not alone.  We have all experienced these times.  I want to encourage you today with something that God showed me not too long ago about His ways that might bring clarity to what He is doing in your life.

God led me to a story in Genesis Chapter 12 regarding Abraham.  Remember, Abraham was just a regular guy who God had asked to leave his home country for a place God promised to give him.  God also promised Abraham that if he would go to this land where God was sending him, God would make him into a great nation, make his name great, and bless him.  (Genesis 12:1-3).  Abraham believed God’s word, stepped out and traveled to that land.  But not long after Abraham entered the land, a severe famine struck and Abraham had to move his family to Egypt – a land far from his promised land.

Now imagine how confusing this could have been to Abraham.  God led Abraham to a specific place and said this is where you will settle, but then Abraham had to leave because of circumstances beyond his control.  Even more, God had promised to bless Abraham.  A famine – having your supply cut off and dried up – does not in any way resemble a blessing.  This could not have made a lot of sense to Abraham.  But you see, this was all part of God’s plan to fulfill the promises He gave to Abraham. 

Before entering Egypt, Abraham instructed his wife Sarah and others to refer to Sarah as his sister and not his wife as he was afraid that the Egyptians would see her and want to kill Abraham to take her as she was beautiful.  (Abraham was not asking them to lie as Sarah was indeed his half-sister.).  Just as Abraham had predicted, the Egyptians noticed Sarah and brought her to the Pharaoh where she was taken into the palace.  As if things could not get any worse for Abraham, he has now lost his wife.  Imagine how confusing this time could have been to Abraham.  You call this blessing God?! 

But again, despite how it looked, it was all part of God’s plan to fulfill His promises to Abraham.  Because of Sarah, the Pharaoh treated Abraham well, and Abraham acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.  In other words, the Pharaoh lavished riches on Abraham.  Shortly after, God allowed a serious diseases to be placed on the Pharaoh and his household because he was holding Abraham’s wife.  As a result, the Pharaoh let Sarah go back to Abraham and allowed them all to leave his country with everything they had.

And then we get to Chapter 13 where the picture of what God was doing becomes clear.  Everything finally makes sense.  Abraham and Sarah return to the land that God had promised them, but now Abraham “had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.”  Genesis 13:2.  God fulfilled His promise to bless Abraham.  It might have happened in a way that Abraham could not have anticipated, but God did it.

For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the LORD, plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

I encourage you today, do not give up on the promise God has given you.  He is working out His plan for your life in a marvelous way.  His ways are not our ways.  His ways are above our ways.  He sees the big picture.  He sees each piece of the puzzle of your life and knows in what order that each must be placed.  He knows what He is doing, and if you will cooperate with Him, trusting Him despite what you see, you will eventually receive what He has promised you.