“So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”
Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)
Last time we were together I shared about the week God reminded me He can (and does) show up while I’m living my life, He used another set of Scriptures to encourage me, reminding me of another truth.
When you think of the story of Job, what comes to mind? Is it that his children all died, he lost his livelihood, his friends and even his health? That all he had left was a crabby wife? I was reminded this week that while Job lost a lot, it was only for a brief season in his life. While the losses hurt (especially the death of his children – a parent does not ever stop missing their children) and the grief I’m sure never entirely went away, the majority of Job’s life was blessed. God didn’t just replace all Job lost – He doubly restored it all, including the joy of raising more children.
What about Joseph? His childhood was pampered. He was his father’s favorite and quite spoiled. His brothers were jealous and eventually beat him up and sold him into slavery. He continued to obey God’s commands, and yet it seemed as though he “couldn’t catch a break.” God used those circumstances, though, to grow Joseph and help him mature. Eventually, he was exalted to second in command over the entire nation of Egypt. God used Joseph’s obedience to save millions of people from starving during a seven year famine, including his whole family.
God reminded me that while our family has definitely gone through “a season of testing and growth,” He has spoken words over our lives and our family that He will fulfill. I believe that when God speaks, His words aren’t casual. When God speaks, what was spoken will be fulfilled.
And that, my friends, is why I believe that what God has been stirring in my heart will eventually come to pass, as it did over a year ago, and three years before that and eight years before that. I also believe that when I get out of His way and fully surrender to His plan instead of trying to mesh my plan with His or tell Him how to work the plan, what He has spoken occurs more quickly.
When God fully reveals the promises He has spoken over our family, I will be giving Him all the glory and praise, not just for the end result but for how He used the whole journey to prepare me for what He knew I would need to learn. Until then, I can rest in the peace that God’s promises will be fulfilled in His time, as long as I stay out of the way.
© Cheri Swalwell 2018