Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Immediate Gratification - Not Having The Faith To Wait

My Utmost For His Highest
 
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. —Genesis 15:12
 
“Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11). Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am Almighty God…”— El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful God (Genesis 17:1). […] As soon as God becomes real to us, people pale by comparison, becoming shadows of reality. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God.”  CHAMBERS
 
There is a recurring theme in the Bible.  Trusting God or trusting in ourselves.  Abram had waited on God to fulfill His promise.  He grew impatient and did something on his own. In Genesis 17 something happened … there was a transaction of faith between Abram and God, and God gave Abram a new name .. Abraham .. father of many nations.  Soon after Sarah conceived.  It happened when it was impossible to give credit to men.  God received all of the glory.  It’s the same way with us.  We know God’s promises, but are unwilling to wait on God.  We want to “make it happen”.  We accept something less than God’s best because we lacked the faith to wait.  Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.  Faith is trusting in something you can’t see . .being convinced that it will come to pass, and then living … making choices in the context of that belief.  Faith becomes stronger when faith is exercised.  Are you facing something in your life that is testing your faith?  Testing your confidence in God?  It is a common malady for us Christians.  There is or was a TV commercial where people receiving an annuity or settlement said “It’s my money and I want it now.”  To do that they had to be willing to give up a great deal of their money.  To receive something today, they were willing to sacrifice what they would receive tomorrow.  They didn’t want to wait.  Another example is the business that does taxes and promises an immediate tax return.  That is not the government’s money the tax payer receives, but the business provides the money at a significant cost to the tax payer. Don't accept anything but God's best.  Waiting on God is worth the wait.  ELGIN
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
 
Charley Elgin

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