Microwave Promises

God's promises are worth waiting on. He is faithful to his word, but it's not always on our timeline.

I was reading the story of Joseph the thought of how quickly we want God's promises to come to pass in our lives struck me. When God speaks something to us, we want it now! We live in an instant society with a culture that really idolizes quick success at a young age. But God's Kingdom, and the purposes He has for our lives do not work like that. Actually it is rather the opposite.

Many times we are instructed to have endurance, stand in faith, wait, have patience and so on. There are no microwave promises with God.

Joseph's story is just one of many in God’s Word that gives us a picture of this principle. When Joseph was dying he prophesied saying: "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." Gen 50:24-25

The thing is, after Joseph said those words the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for about 400 years before they left Egypt for the Promised Land. 400 years!!! I bet the family members that heard Joseph's final instructions thought for sure it would happen in their life time. But it took 400 years!

Surely that wasn't God's plan right? Maybe the Israelites behaved so badly that God pushed him time-table back? Sure, there are times when we delay God by our disobedience, but not in this case.

Let's look at Acts 7:17. "As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increase..." Did you see it? "As the time drew near..." It sounds like God actually planned it to take 400 years. He had a set time in mind for their deliverance.

And when we look at God's words to Abraham, we find out for sure that this was God's plan from the beginning. "Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years... In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here..." Gen 15:13,16

And to think that sometimes we don't have the endurance and faith to wait for a couple of months, or sometimes years to see God's promises come to pass in our lives. The people of Israel waited 400 years!

God sees the big picture. He knows the timing. He wants what is best for us. We must learn to wait for HIS timing.

When my kids ask me for a candy right before dinner I say no, knowing that we are about to eat soon. I also know that I will give then some for dessert after dinner, but I don't always explain this to them. They might whine or pout, but it's not going to make me change my mind. I just wish they could see what I see.

I wish I could see always see what God sees, but even when I don’t, I chose to walk by faith knowing that His timing is perfect.

Keep the faith friends!"God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished" Phil 1:6

Love,

Josie