Wondering About Promises

(posting on Wondering Wednesdays thoughts from my 2014 Bible Read-Thru)

When God promised the land to Abraham, He first promised 400 years of oppression. (Genesis 15:12-16) We don't hear that preached much. Four generations would live before the land would actually belong to Abraham's descendants.  God promised a child born to Abraham and oppression for his kids.  I think we overlook the complete promise of God.  We take the good but don't want the bad.  This is natural but the "bad" can somehow also be good because God knows we need the refining that comes from the trial before we can handle the blessing well.

Breaking and grieving can bring us to a point where we can see the deeper value of struggle and victory.  Our need is unmasked and we are left weak and able to receive the love and strength of God that we would not have even sought otherwise. Our strength and shallow fulfillment leaves us empty. We are forced to come to terms with our humanity and sin.  If we can learn to we receive God's promise of trouble as a refining fire,  we will also learn to live in the shelter of His love, protection, and provision in a deeper and fuller way.  When He brings us into a season of the land of milk and honey, we can attribute this blessing to His hand rather than ours.  Then we will glorify Him as He deserves, rather than being deceived into thinking that we accomplished the victory on our own.

God promises that we will have hardship - but He also promised that He would overcome. (John 16:33) We can know we are in good company as life throws curve balls and we experience pain. There are many examples in Scripture and in life.  We can take comfort that these light and momentary afflictions are not worth comparing to the glory that will be ours. (2 Corinthians 4:17 , Romans 8:18) God promises it all for our good, therefore we need to embrace the pain and allow the refining fire to burn - trusting the One who seems to slay us just as Job trusted. 

This is the beauty of following Jesus - Nothing Is Wasted.  

God will use it all.