God Said It. So, Where Is It?

When God gives us a promise its usually simple. A big picture idea of what He wants to do for us or give us. Its not complex or full of detail. Its plain. He gives us these simple promises so we'll seek Him for the blueprint and plan. So we can partner with Him step by step in relationship. He wants us to pursue Him and He knows that too much right away will send us marching out on our own trying to accomplish what is supposed to be for His glory. He wants us to seek Him first before the blessing. Its His heart for relationship and His protection as our father that causes Him to be so vague at first. Its for our good.

Our humanity, however, can't help but make this simple promise into something complex. We immediately start to formulate a plan or think of possibilities of how it'll come to pass. We create ideas of our own and through a very human process of elimination we decide we know the way it'll happen. Often times this gives us confidence to press in. We like to know what's coming and don't really favor the unknown. So, having provided ourselves a safety net of understanding, then we contend. We pray into the promise, stand and fight with our declarations and words. We press and press with specifics of "the plan" and keep going until we finally get frustrated because its just not working out how we thought it would. Its not coming when we expected it to. We get discouraged and weary in our fight. We start to feel hopeless and we get beat up.

It's in this moment of frustration we often break and we're faced with a choice: give up and move on, or keep standing and waiting on God. Most of us will want the blessings enough to keep standing. So we do. But what about when we keep standing and believing but it's still not coming? We get discouraged and start to feel hopeless. We know what God said. We are sure it was Him and have confirmation after confirmation. But still no manifestation. Sound familiar? I think we've all been there.

Well, I believe there's a purpose for that. A few things happen in that broken state of near defeat and waiting. God is breaking us of ourselves. He wants us to want Him more than the blessings right? And our human nature often pushes us towards the opposite. We don't mean to, we don't intend it, but it happens quite easily. The things He promised us will likely change our lives and its understanding we want it to come! The promises unfortunately though, become greater to us than God. Our ideas of how it will come and the blessings themselves easily become idols. But without us wanting God more, we won't be able to handle the blessing He gives us. We won't be able to carry the weight of it. Our human nature isn't strong enough to hold it all. We have to want God more so we know how to rely on Him to give us strength in the blessings. And we have to maintain our relationship of Him being our first love in order for the blessing to stay His glory! So He will allow us to wait until we get sick of ourselves and our own plans. He'll let us stay in the middle ground until we eventually find our end and His beginning.

When we find our end, we also find the end of our plans. We are broken to the point that we no longer care how or when. We end up empty of any expectations other than God will do it. We find ourselves willing to lay down our ideas, break out of the boxes we've created, and simply trust God at His word. There is no back up plan other than trust. And in the torment of waiting we are rid of our own agenda. Its painful, this break. Its hard and yielding takes a shattering most can barely stand through. But that moment is huge. Its where God shows up to save the day. Its when we can finally see our breakthrough because our focus is no longer on what we think things should look like or what we can get. Its on God. Our rescue, our protector, our provider, father, friend, and savior. It feels like the pit of hell, but really its the invitation to heaven. God gets to show off here. His glory gets to shine on the impossible because we finally let go of our ideas and surrender to His. There's a purpose for the wait and the shaking. Its to get us to be free of ourselves entirely so we can be filled with Him. Our cries for breakthrough become less specific and simple again.

"I don't know how or when, but your will, not mine. Your way, not mine. You said you'd do it, and you will. But I need you more. I surrender. "

We take the lid off of God and come back to the simplicity of obedience. Our relationship with Him grows again and we are left empty of anything that isn't His will.

This doesn't mean we don't long for breakthrough and change. We do. But our vision changes. All we see is Jesus because without Him we won't ever see the change we desire. And thats the other point. God is a jealous God, He wants us to Himself. Even in the blessings, even in the movement, even in the promises, He wants our whole heart and all of our attention. He wants to be the greatest thing in our lives. Our first love above all else.

So let the breaking happen. Trust in the waiting. Let Him rid you of yourself so you can find Him again. It might hurt. It might feel like sacrifice and more than you can take. In some moments it will be. But God will never ask anything of you that He won't walk with you. He will never want you to give something up that He won't replace with better. He will never let anything break without the intention to restore it. And He will never leave you to do all this in your own strength. God doesn't do anything to hurt you, ever. But He will let you have your own way until you learn His ways are better. He will let you to break so He can put you back together better than ever. He does all things for your good. Every time. And when we get this, I believe thats when breakthrough of promises will come.

Have your way Lord. I'm yours.

And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things, for nothing has existence apart from him!

John 1:3 TPT

Yes, all things work for your enrichment so that more of God’s marvelous grace will spread to more and more people, resulting in an even greater increase of praise to God, bringing him even more glory!

2 Corinthians 4:15 TPT

Blessing after blessing comes to those who love and trust the Lord. They will not fall away, for they refuse to listen to the lies of the proud.

Psalms 40:4 TPT