Genesis 17:6-8 King James Version (KJV)
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
There is a story of a woman who was inspired by the interaction of a mother and her son. She happened to be doing her routine grocery shopping when she saw a young boy and his mother in the candy aisle of the store. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the son looking at the candy, as though he wanted his mother to buy some.
The mother must have known her son was interested in the candy because she told him, “if he stays with her while they shop, don’t touch anything, and help with the groceries at checkout then she will buy him something sweet”. The son told his mom “ok Mommy you have a deal”.
The woman thought to herself, that was smart, she is not giving him anything, he must earn it. There was also much excitement in his voice, as though he could see himself enjoying the sweet treat. He even asked his mother how he could help her find additional items on her grocery list, as he was so eager to get his reward.
The woman continued her grocery shopping but, began to reflect on how the son’s entire countenance changed instantly after his mother made him a promise.
That situation continued to stay on her mind. I guess for some time because she was not sure how she made it to checkout and her car. But she was immediately brought back to reality when she heard a familiar voice say “thanks Mommy for the candy, but I believe you were going to give it to me all along, you just wanted to see if I was going to follow instructions, but thanks again you kept your promise”.
On the woman’s drive home, she began to think about the promises that God makes to us. Throughout the Bible there are many. There are also promises that he has made personally to each one of us. She began to think about how we also have the excitement, zeal, and motivation when we first learn of a promise.
However, somewhere along the journey that excitement starts to dwindle or diminish. Why is that? Is it because the journey is not what you envisioned? Is it costing too much of your time and money? Are you having to interact with some people and go to some places that are out of the norm?
The reasons listed above could very well be the case. But I want you to take a minute and think about it. God has given you a promise, which is a guarantee, obligation, or covenant. He has also given you specific instructions in his word or to you personally. The promise still exists regardless of setbacks, valleys, lows, headaches, or hardships you may experience along the way. He only wants you to stay focused, persevere, and be resilient.
In the Bible, many of us have heard about the children of Israel and how they were known as the chosen generation, and the many provisions God made on their behalf. Well, it all started with the promise or covenant that God made between him and Abraham, (Genesis 17:1-14). That he would make him a father of many nations, giving him and his heirs the land of Canaan, and forever be their God. If only they kept his covenant. We see throughout the Bible God was consistent in keeping his promise.
Things did not come easy for the children of Israel, but one thing is certain God never went back on his word, even when he wanted to at times due to their disobedience. But he was reminded of the promises he made (Exodus 37:13-14) and could not break his covenant.
Understand that if we uphold our end of the bargain God will follow through. No, the journey may not come easy, and may not be given to you on a silver platter, instead, you must earn it.
It is the promises of God that should motivate and encourage you to continue in your purpose and destiny, regardless of the obstacles you face. If you cannot think of any other reason to keep going focus on the promise because it is waiting for you at the finish line.
I leave you with these takeaways:
Stand on the promise.
Believe in the promise.
Follow the instructions provided to receive the promise.
Regardless of the challenge keep your zeal and excitement.
Wait with anticipation and expectation.
If you have lost the joy, excitement, zeal that you first had when you learned of the promise. Ask God to restore it, and walk with confidence and reassurance, knowing and believing God will keep his promise concerning you.
The ability to stand on the promises of God is the first step in experiencing resilience.
Be Blessed!