We receive a promise from God and are instantly full of confidence. But, the more time passes, the more we are tested, and the more we begin to look at other solutions. And this can be a great danger!
Our God is awesome and rich in all things. We find in Him everything we need (Colossians 2:10). But sometimes the answers we expect don’t come at the moment we ask for them. We can receive a promise from God and be very excited to see it fulfilled. But when time passes, or when trials seem to lead us in the opposite direction of our dream, we can begin to look for other solutions to reach our goal. A bit like Sarah, who, considering her advanced age, believed that she could help God by giving her servant to Abraham (Genesis 16).
Other times, it’s not just time that comes to discourage us, it’s also trials and failures. That is what David experienced at some point in his life. God, through the prophet Samuel, had anointed him king while Saul was still in power. But David did not sit on the throne immediately after receiving God’s promise. He went back to the flocks of sheep for a time. Then he fought the giant Goliath. Then he was the king’s musician and served in his army. Nothing seemed to indicate that God’s promise was going to be fulfilled, except, at times, small messages of encouragement from the people or Jonathan. Maybe he figured that at least he was close to the throne, even eating at the king’s table.
Then, that privilege was revoked. King Saul wanted to kill him! He had to flee the palace, cut ties with his precious ally Jonathan, and hide in caves. Despite this agonizing ordeal, he twice refused to kill King Saul when he had the chance (1 Samuel 24:10). Whenever his enemy was about to kill him, God delivered David. He wrote during this period of his life a multitude of psalms, confessing his fears, but continuing to affirm his trust in his God. Before each battle, David consulted the Lord.
Until discouragement completely overwhelmed him. “And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 27:1a NKJV). David had always eluded Saul, but suddenly he was convinced that he was going to be defeated. His discouragement was such that he had forgotten the great promise of God. Previously, David spoke with God. But this time, David spoke to himself. And that is also, generally, our starting point. When we start talking to ourselves rather than talking to God. When we start thinking about ways out of our problems instead of trusting God’s promises.
The scenario is far too familiar for Christian singles. We receive a promise from God and believe wholeheartedly that He has a special person prepared for us. With this person, we already see our Christian marriage as a model for the church. Then time passes, and discouragement sets in. We stop talking about our feelings to God, and we start finding other solutions. Often, like David who sought a solution from the side of the enemies of Israel, we look for solutions among the non-believers.
Sometimes it’s not just time, but failures in love that lead us to doubt God’s promise. We meet a handsome Christian man, we spend a few weeks dating him and we are already giving glory to God for the fulfillment of His promise. Then the man breaks up our relationship. Our hearts are bruised not only by the rejection of this man but bruised to see that the promise of God has not come true. And like David, we begin to build our life in the world, in lies and far from the heart of God. During this period of David’s life, while he was living in the land of the Philistines, he did not write any psalms.
It’s not easy, but you have to learn from David’s painful experience and refuse to give up. Whether we are tired of waiting, whether we are persecuted for keeping our standards, or whether we are hurt by failures, we must always cling to God. We must continue to believe in His promise, and continue to trust Him despite our circumstances. “And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:21 NKJV) Let’s take time to rest from our worries, and let His gentle Spirit comfort us and give us hope.