God always keeps his promises. Always. Have you ever felt differently? Has there been a time in your life when you knew he had promised something and yet you found yourself waiting a long time to see the promise fulfilled? Have you ever been tempted to take matters into your own hands? We are by nature not patient creatures. We want to get on with things NOW. What we tend to forget is that with God's promise comes God's perfect timing. You can't have one without the other.
We see in the Old Testament, two opposite examples of the fulfillment of God's promises. Abraham and David were both promised something by the Lord. One chose to "help" God out when things seemed to be moving too slowly and the other chose to wait on God's timing, despite the fact that it took years to see any progress.
In an effort to see God's promise of an heir fulfilled, Abraham took Sarah's maidservant and had a child with her. The result brought about heartbreak and warring tribes that are still fighting for territory in the Middle East. How different would our world look today if Abraham had waited on God's timing?
David was anointed by Samuel to be king when he was still tending sheep in his father's field. He knew this was his role, despite the fact it took many years to come to fruition. Not only did he have to wait for the Lord to remove Saul from power, he then had to wait seven and a half more years because Ishbosheth assumed the role when his father died. David could easily have gone in and demanded to be king. He could have used his skills in battle to take what was rightfully his. Instead, he waited on the Lord's timing, all the while remaining faithful. He trusted God and put his faith into action.
I'll admit, patience is not one of my strong suites. Looking at these two OT heroes encourages me to wait on the Lord to fulfill his promises to our family. He will do what he says he will do, of that I have no doubt. The question is, do we have the self-control to live out our patience and see his promises fulfilled in our lives? David endured many things on his road to being king. He could have questioned God at any point. He may have wondered at times if God really was in control. Whatever his doubts, he did not allow them to control his actions. He chose instead to trust and wait.
Lord, help me to have the foresight and patience of David, to live my life knowing you will accomplish what you have promised, whether tomorrow, next week, or next year. I know you are faithful and will see your will accomplished.
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