PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Today, let’s go to Joshua 21:45. It says, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (ESV).
This verse comes to us hundreds of years after God’s initial promise to Abraham which included the land we know as Israel. It was a promise that was reemphasized to Isaac, Jacob, then Joseph. It’s a promise that was made hundreds of years before it was delivered.
What I love about this verse is that despite all the doubts, complaining, and rebellion of the Israelites—God still came through. His chosen people may have made things far more difficult for themselves than they needed to. After all, God gave them miracle after miracle through their escape. How much more convincing does it take?? Things would have been much easier if they had just trusted God from the beginning of the Egyptian exodus, but nonetheless, it proves one of my favorite quotes… “If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this: You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful” (Quote attributed to Lisa Bever).
Even when we get in the way and try to take matters in our own hands, God is faithful. He keeps His promises. We can trust His plan. And that should be motivation for us to let God do His thing and realize that while He may use us in unexpected ways—He doesn’t need us to get the job done. He certainly doesn’t need our helpful suggestions (I may or may not be preaching to myself right now…)
I am going to use my late-cat, Barney, as an illustration. He was a huge orange Tabby cat—28 lbs at his heaviest. He died about 14 years ago and I still miss him! When Barney knew I was on the way to refill the food bowl, he would walk in front of me, cross-crossing to the point where he almost tripped me (and succeeded on a number of occasions). In his eagerness for me to deliver more food, he kept getting in my way.
I imagine we are like my cat. God’s holding the promises and we keep walking in front of Him… we look up in expectation just as Barney used to look up at me as if to say, “Now? No… Okay, how ‘bout now?”
God is going to do things His way and in His timing. His plan may take years, but when we learn to praise Him in the waiting, we can maintain our expectant hope without discouragement. Because God keeps His promises.
Today, as you pray, thank God for His faithfulness. Thank Him that He never forgets His promises and that He always delivers. Ask the Holy Spirit to equip your heart with worship in the waiting. Ask Him to help you trust God’s process and most of all, His word.
