Hold fast to life’s promises and never give up

Sometimes we get a clear sense that something is going to happen in our lives. Perhaps a sense that something specific we have been hoping for is going to come to fruition. Maybe simply a sense that something good, whatever it may be, is on the way.

Some people report hearing clearly from God that He has promised them something – whether audibly or in some other way. Others report a sense, a feeling, just knowing that something is on the cards.

If that something happens quickly it is exciting, reassuring, joyous.

But sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes there can be a delay of weeks, months, even years between God promising us something and that promise being fulfilled. And where there is delay, there is space. Space for doubts to creep in. Was it really a promise from God? Was it my wishful thinking? Did I misunderstand? Have I been kidding myself and pursuing a false dream?

And doubt can give way to fear, and fear can give way to despair – if we let it. Sometimes we actively chase a promise while feeling like we’re hitting a brick wall.

But not letting delays get the better of us can be easier said than done. It’s easy to say “have faith” and “trust in God”, especially when things are going well and all is rosy in the garden. But when nagging self doubt is making you question whether it was ever God’s will for you to have what you are dreaming of, it can be so much harder.

So how can we help ourselves to keep our hope in the midst of doubt? When we’re wondering why the promise we were given weeks, months or years ago still hasn’t been fulfilled, how can we keep ourselves focused on the goal of seeing it come to fruition?

For me, as with all of life’s challenges, the key answers lie in the Bible. When my impatience makes me wonder why God hasn’t delivered on a promise already, the Bible reminds me that He does all things in His perfect timing, not mine. 

The Old Testament tells the story of the Israelites journeying to the new land God had promised them. They likely set off thinking they’d been there in a few months, if not a few weeks. As it turned out, it took them 40 years to reach the Promised Land. Many of those who originally set out on the journey died without ever reaching the destination, but God remained true to His promise and, after a very eventful trip, the Israelites finally reached their goal.

In Genesis, God promised Abram that He would father many children, later changing his name to Abraham, which means father of many. But it was not until a long time later, and when Abraham’s wife was far beyond natural child-bearing age, that the promise was fulfilled. The Bible shows the ways in which both Abraham and his wife Sarah doubted the promise but, despite all their doubts, borne out of the limited understanding as human beings, God was true to His word.

Sometimes when we’ve been given a promise, a message or a word about something God has planned for our lives, it seems so unattainable from our human perspective that we doubt its validity or wonder whether it will ever really happen.

But the Bible and the experiences of many people who have come since make it clear; God never breaks a promise. Though we may doubt and fall short often, God keeps His word always. And sometimes He keeps us waiting because of the things we can learn and the ways in which we can grow along the journey.

There are two Bible verses that frequently come to my mind when I find myself disappointed by the length of time it is taking to reach the fulfillment of a promise. They are Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11, which says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” and Romans chapter 12, verse 12, which states, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

If you’ve been waiting and longing for the fulfillment of a promise for a long time, don’t lose heart. Keep hope, keep your eyes fixed on the end goal but don’t forget to take in the journey along the way. God has great things in store for you but He might have plans to grow you as a person first.

However rocky the path might be, it is filled with positive purpose.

Sarah Moore is the author of For the Love of Lentil, A journey of longing, loss and abundant grace, which tells the story of her experience of pregnancy and miscarriage. Copies of the book are available here.