Isaiah 37,3:
"...for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth."
If that promise from God hasn't been fulfilled yet, don't panic, instead:
Stay On the Main Road
Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life..." In John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, clear instruction was given to stay on the road. Why? Lions were along the pathway, but they were chained just far enough away from the path that if you stayed on the road they could not reach you. Leave the road just a little and you were a meal.
Once, my mailman almost got devoured by a neighbor's vicious dog. The dog's teeth were about to go into his arm when a man came out of the house and called the canine off. The dog should have been on a chain. To the obedient Christian, satan is on a chain. The devil is roaming about "seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus is the path (see John 14:6). Every town has a Main Street, every Christian has one also...stay on it. Many look for shortcuts.
Avoid "Sightseeing"
Someone said, "You can look, but don't touch." This is bad advice. There is much visual distraction today. It's easy to be lured away into worldly thinking (see 1 John 2:15) and be deceived by the enemy by (continually) looking at something that is beneath a Christian's dignity. What you allow yourself to see will dictate what you think (see Job 31:1).
Many of us know the Scripture that says, "For as he thinketh in his heart..." (Proverbs 23:7). But the verse right before it says "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye..."
What are you looking at? You've heard, "If you hang out at the Barber Shop long enough you are going to get a haircut." If you allow your eyes to see things they shouldn't, you will eventually wind up doing it. Satan gives a very bad haircut, and in the long run it will turn out to be an expensive one (see Proverbs 13:15; Judges 2:13-15). Don't have a bad hair day.
Don't Look Down
Never once in Scripture are we told to look down. We are always told to look up (see Luke 21:27). When troubles come upon us, we often do not want to look up (see Psalm 40:12). Some are so wrapped up in self-pity, it causes them to exaggerate how bad the problem really is and hinders them from seeing the door of escape (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Dwelling on the bad, they focus on the current trial and not the ultimate good as the Scriptures tell us to do (see Philippians 4:8).
You may be experiencing a temporary trial now, but it's nothing compared to what He has for you in the future (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). Many Believers miss God because of negativity...don't join them. The Father is looking from above...turn your gaze toward Him, not your problem.
Proof that you're looking up? Thankfulness to God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Live in the Garden of Purity and Desperation
Too flippantly some mumble, "Jesus died for my sins," and then go about committing sin. This is the reason some promises do not come to pass (see John 5:14; 8:11). God can bring solutions to our problems, but He does so by first solving a deeper problem - sin.
Some seem to forget the sinfulness of sin (see Isaiah 3:9). Resisting sin is not always easy, but it is possible (see James 1:12-16). Stay pure (see 1 John 3:3). Personal purity brings God's blessings (see Psalm 18:20-21).
Jesus cried out, "My heart is ready to break with grief" (Mark 14:34 NEB). The next verse says "He threw Himself on the ground and prayed." The last prayer Jesus prayed before going to the Cross - He prayed while flat on His face. Often, the fulfillment of God's promise in your life comes only after you've thrown yourself down before God and prayed in utter desperation.
Are you desperate for God? Hezekiah was desperate (see Isaiah 38:3-5) and his life was extended. "God is faithful..." (1 Corinthians 1:9a)...so remember:
God's Delays are Not Denials...Hold On, the Promise Will Come
Paul said it in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, "Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do it." If God gave you a genuine promise, He will fulfill it - but keep in mind He rarely takes the shortcut to get us to the next destination (or the scenic route). Sometimes God leads us into the wilderness on the way to blessings. When we face trials we need to bow down before the Master (see Isaiah 66:1-2), and He will strengthen us to keep going on until the promise "is ready to be fulfilled."
God's timing is always perfect (see 2 Samuel 22:31), but you must keep feeding and nurturing His promise with the Word, prayer, and thanksgiving no matter what comes your way and no matter how long it takes. Be patient and wait on Him. If He has carried you this far, He is not about to stop now.
Some prophetic words may not fully come to pass because (as preposterous as it sounds) people get impatient and try to help God out. They get antsy and want to give God a hand. God doesn't need your help; He needs your faithfulness (see 1 Corinthians 4:2). Yes, we do work with God, but we must remember that He is the One who promotes and demotes along with opening doors and closing them (see Psalm 75:6-7).
Bottom line:
If you want His word fulfilled, stay on the main road, avoid sightseeing, look up and stay pure with your faith focused on Him.
Psalm 27,14:
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Al Thomas
Celebrating His Life Ministries
