Lest We Forget.

When it came to the Israelites, God had never really used the conventional methods.  The Israelites had prayed for God to save them from slavery and what did He do?  He set a bush on fire in the middle of nowhere to attract the attention of a stuttering, fearful man.  He sent that stuttering, fearful man to free His people.  He caused all of Hades to break loose in order to provoke their release from slavery.  He led them through a sea.  He provided food.  He led them by cloud during the day and by fire during the night.  He even gave them water from a rock!  God went above and beyond to take care of these people, and sometimes it seemed as if He were taking the longer route.  Wouldn't it have just been easier to snap His fingers and have the whole thing fixed immediately?

Maybe.  But where's the fun in that?

He was leading them from slavery to the Promised Land, but somewhere during that journey the Israelites forgot.  With the past falling distantly behind them and a future still too far away to see, they forgot what God was capable of and what He had promised.  Even as He provided again and again, their greedy and impatient hearts still grasped for more.  Because they didn't move immediately from the pit to the promise, they allowed themselves to "forget His works and His wonders that He had shewed them"*.  Because they allowed themselves to forget, they doubted.  And because they doubted, they grew disobedient.  They prolonged their journey and incited the wrath of God.

But would you like to know the best part of the Israelites' story?  They couldn't see the Promised Land immediately, but that did not change the fact that the Promised Land still existed.

You may not literally see your fulfilled word of God from where you're standing right now, but that doesn't change the fact that you still have a fulfilled word of God waiting for you. 

Is it clicking?  Are you catching onto this?  I hope somebody is catching onto this because this is good stuff.

We are like the Israelites.  God has proven to be faithful time and time again.  He has revealed Himself in numerous ways.  Yet if we don't move immediately from the pit to the promise, if we're stuck in a season of waiting for a fulfilled word of God, we are quick to forget how often He has moved on our behalf.  Here in the middle, between yesterday and tomorrow, we lose sight of what He's already done because we're so busy looking for what He promised He would do next.  

The Israelites made a complete mess of things.  God went above and beyond for them.  Not because He is flamboyant, but because He cared enough to prove His love.  He cared enough to do things in a unique fashion so that there would be no questioning Who had delivered God's people.  And they foolishly forgot every loving act done for them. 

Sometimes it may feel like God is taking His old, sweet time answering our prayers or fulfilling a promise.  It may feel like He is doing things the difficult way.  But rest assured that He is only going above and beyond for you in order to prove His love so that there will be no questioning Who is working in your life.  Child of God, don't forget what He has done to get you out of the pit, and don't doubt that He will see you through to the promise.  The promise that still exists even when it can't be seen.  God bless.


*Psalms 78:11.