Recently I found myself sitting in a powerful church service hearing the Word of God preached. It was a faith building message. The preacher reminded us that God is a Promise Keeper. She spoke to us about holding on to His promises. She told story after story about God speaking a promise to one of His daughters and how many times years later the promise came to pass just as it was originally spoken to her. I could fell my faith building. I could see the faith of all of those around me strengthening as the Word saturated their souls and watered the promises in their own lives.
Suddenly, out of nowhere (did you know Satan attends church and loves to interrupt in the middle of God speaking?), I had the thought, “God hasn’t given any specific promise about this season that I’m in. I understand and believe what is being preached, but I don’t have a ‘lifeboat promise’ to hold onto.”
For a few moments there it was a real battle in my mind. In an instant, I felt abandoned because I couldn’t put a date and time on a word for word promise that had been prophesied regarding this specific season. I looked around at eight hundred or so women who were worshipping and praising God for His promise to them, but I had nothing. You know that “alone in a crowd” feeling? That was me. What do I do? In that moment I had a choice. I could dwell on those thoughts and listen to the voice that was speaking or I could step back and evaluate. I chose to evaluate.
The first step was realizing that the voice was not God’s. Why would Jesus speak hopelessness to me? HE WOULDN’T! So, “OK satan, you’ve been exposed!” As soon as I identified the source, I simply described my season to the Promise Keeper. There wasn’t a “THUS SAITH THE WORD OF THE LORD” over the sound system. No stranger walked up to me to “give me a word from the Lord”. I didn’t see Angels or a glory cloud. What did happen was my mind began to be flooded with scripture full of promises that were applicable to my season.
Rhetorical question here: do you know that the promises found written in your Bible are just as powerful, relevant and alive as if Jesus chooses to send a prophet to speak to you?
I was in a season of transition. A season of being kicked out of my comfort zone. A season of not knowing what was next. It was a “give us this day our daily bread” season. A season of knowing that the last step we took was in obedience, but we hadn’t been told about the next step. You may be someone who enjoys the unknown. Me? I’m an Enneagram one, which means that I’m a PLANNER! LIKE A BIG TIME PLANNER! This was not fun. Satan knew that about me and did his best to make me feel abandoned and like everything was out of control, but THE WORD that never changes began to become MY PROMISES!
Here are just a few promises that became mine in that service:
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in His way.
Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who LEADS YOU IN THE WAY THAT YOU SHOULD GO.
Deuteronomy 32:12 So the Lord alone led him…
Psalm 32:8 God will instruct me in the way I should go. He will guide me with His eye.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears will hear a Word behind you, “this is the way walk in it”, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
Your Bible, which is God breathed and is literally Jesus Christ in written form, is FULL of promises for YOU!
Maybe you find yourself like me in that church service feeling abandoned and alone because you can’t point to a day and time when there was a spoken declared promise. I implore you to search for scriptures that speak to how you are feeling. THERE ARE PROMISES IN THE WORD THAT ARE FOR YOU! Write them down! Speak them! Claim them! THEY ARE YOURS! They WILL come to life for you! Let THE WORD OF GOD become your testimony!
From one living sacrifice to another, you are anointed, chosen, and cherished!
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