What is that makes believing God so hard? Not just "believing in" Him, though I'm sure for those who are searching and seeking this is equally difficult. No, I'm talking about believing something that He has promised will in fact happen. It's hard, isn't it? And for those of us who've been followers for a while--seems it should be getting easier--so, why isn't it? It seems that this year's theme for me is "promises kept". I can't ever remember a year having a theme and I'm not sure if God supplied the theme this year before I asked. Seems like He did. Then He kept bringing it up. Church--just so happens the pastor starts talking about God being able to keep His promises. Blogs I read are talking about God's faithfulness. Mass email from famous pastors. . .you guessed it--promises. Then, the audacity of it all--the Bible starts on this and just doesn't stop!! All.through.it.God.is.Faithful.
Still, I'm not convinced. Apparently, Eve wasn't either and it didn't go so well in that particular instance and so the prospects of me getting away with blatant unbelief don't seem so promising (no pun intended). John Calvin believed that all sin had at its root the sin of unbelief. I suspect he may be right. I wish I could offer you the solution--the five things to do so that you never wrestle with unbelief. I wish. Seems nothing much is new under the sun because as I attempt to read through the Bible with my lovely daughter and husband I am struck that Abraham, yes the great man of faith, seemed to struggle here as well. We tried reading through the Bible straight from start to finish once before and sorta died in the desert of Leviticus, I believe. . or was it Numbers. I digress. Back to Abraham.
So, here's the scene. God once again announces to Abraham (or Abram) that He is going to give Him an heir. An heir birthed by his lovely, young (or not so young) wife. Check out the middle part of Genesis 17 and I kid you not--God makes an astounding promise--albeit a bit impossible and what does Abraham do--he starts trying to help God out. He laments, "oh, that Ishmael might live before you!" (verse 18). Do you see it? Abraham is trying to help God out. Just giving the almighty a bit of assistance in keeping His word. Otherwise, it doesn't look like it is even possible. I do that, too. God gives me a promise, I see that it is "impossible" and I start thinking of all the ways He can work it out--so that it's possible--I want to help Him out of the quandry He's just created--for both of us. I am so scared of disappointment. At least I think that's what it must be. Afraid that God might fail--and then what?!? If He can't be trusted then this ship is bound for the shoals. Or Sheol.
Yet is not this the whole of the Biblical story. Not meaning to simplify here, but isn't the whole truth of all of it---- God is faithful. He. is. wholly. Faithful. . . .Holy.Faithful. Too.
God, not content to let us eat the fruit of our unbelief makes a way for our belief--Jesus. . .God's faithfulness. His answer to our insistence that He cannot be trusted is to prove Himself over and over and over again.
Lest we think He is all fine and dandy with our unbelief--I'm convinced it grieves His heart like nothing else. Nothing. Not even the most heinous sins. 'Cause look back at Genesis 15:6. Eleven little words that sorta blow your hair back. "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness". What? You mean all that following and obeying didn't do it? 'Cause that's what we teach. Go to church--check! Do nice things--check! Behave-check! Attend small group-check! Listen, I really hope Abraham got at least an "atta-boy" for pulling up his roots and trapsing all over God's country (literally) until God brought him to his country. But all we see from the text is that believing God was what the Almighty Father wanted from His boy.
That's it!! Just believe that He can keep His word--no matter how crazy, unrealistic or impossible it seems!
You think that might be all He wants from me? And you? Don't think the organizers of any institution will be announcing that --'cause they do need us to show up and act like good little girls and boys, but what if. . .
What if He is just waiting for you to relax a bit. . .take a deep breath. . . loosen your grip--on damn near everything---and enjoy the ride. Let Him show us the impossible.
Maybe?
What promises has God made you? Do they seem impossible? I'd love to hear from you!!
Joy
