Is Your Promise Delayed?

As we end this year of 2017 and begin a new year 2018 some of us maybe wondering where is my promise?  You may feel like you are on this long road to nowhere. You have a promise and have been looking and waiting and waiting only to see nothing. Kind of like the road in the picture above. The expanse is open and wide and nothing but road in front of you but the promise is no where in site. You keep wondering where is my breakthrough that I have been believing for? Where is it Lord?

Is that you? You maybe in the middle of conflicting circumstances and wondering where that promise is that you have from God. Does it seem like that promise is somewhere over the rainbow, in the land of Oz maybe? Well, good news. It’s still on its way. It’s still good. God has not forgotten. But in the mean time, you need to cross the Jordan. You need to get up and get moving, get on with living life and remember their is purpose in the waiting. There is process in the waiting.

What is the promise you didn’t get in 2017? I bet you can put a name to it. I can. I have several that I am personally still waiting on and have been for a very long time. Do I really want to see the calendar change. Yes and No. Why? Because part of me fears that the new year will bring more of the same in 2017. Still unanswered prayers, still no promise in site, still the same ole same ole. But yes, because this may just be the year, month, or week I get that promise.

After hearing a sermon this morning in church and taking notes I got inspired to blog about going on into the new year with renewed hope and so should you. I thought I would share some of my takeaways and hope it helps you as well.  How? Glad you asked.

The story in Joshua 1 is great. If you never read it go read it. The children of Israel are ready to go into the promised land and Moses has died. It is time for a new leader. God is doing a new thing. They need to cross the Jordan. They need to move forward. God clearly gives them instruction on what to do and says that He will be with them. But, they must cooperate. They must move and do what God says. They needed to take Him at His word. So do you.

They need to keep moving. Move on ahead, move forward. Time to leave the wilderness. Do you need to leave the wilderness and move on ahead with life into 2018 and you are feeling a little skiddish? Guess what, 2018 is coming. You and I cannot stop it. There is nothing we can do about that but, we can do something about how we approach moving into the new year.

Here is what you can do:

• Whatever is holding you down or back you must push that to the side and strain for future. Look ahead to life with God and purpose. Push through the place that is holding you back right now in these last hours of 2017. What do you need to let go of? Maybe you are scared to face the future because that means change. Do it anyway.

• Do what God is telling you to do. Just decide that you will not put that thing off any longer and when the clock turns to 2018 you will do it. You will step out. You will take a risk.

• Get with the right people. That old saying that if you show me your friends I will show you your future is so TRUE. Who are the main people you hang around with and let impart into you. Maybe you need a new circle of people. Get with people that will pull you and push you to greatness. Let the new year not be another year where you keep judging people on one thing they said and you throw them out. Look at the fruit of their lives.  There is usually someone in our life that is where we are trying to be. Get with them. Ask questions. Pick their brain. There may be people that you can have great relationships with but you are judging them too harshly because they make you feel uncomfortable. Take it from me, you will keep taking that same lesson unless you learn from them. If someone is on the level you are trying to be on why are you not talking to them?  Selah. If they have walked through your situation, why are you not finding out how?

• Remember you are in process. Oh and a process it is. We don’t naturally like process but it is so necessary for the journey. Let God do in you what He wants and you go along for the ride. Stop wanting something before the season, before it is ripe. Wait on the process this new year.

2018 will not be a bad year if you go into it with God and walk hand in hand with Him.  Promises are never delayed. Not ever with God. They are yea and amen. If He said it, it will surely happen. Trust in that promise you were given and learn to cooperate with it. Find out what your role is above and adjust. Empty out yourself so God can fill you with what He wants for the new year.

Just like the road in this picture the promise, as a rainbow, is above your journey. It is never far and never out of God’s reach.

Let’s go… 2018 is coming!

Happy New Year!