One of the areas many of us have difficulty in is the same area that other saints of old have been challenged with. It has to do with the time between the promise and the fulfillment of that promise.

How many of you, like myself, have felt like the Lord has spoken to you in a specific area of your life and you are still waiting for the fulfillment of that promise? Or maybe it has been partially fulfilled but you know that the complete promise has yet to come to pass.

I am thinking of some of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Abraham was given some amazing words from God concerning his own future and the future of his lineage but it was many years from the time God promised him an heir and the fulfillment of that promise. It even seemed like he “blew it” when he chose not to wait on Isaac but took Sarah’s advice to “help God out” thus producing Ishmael. Although God loves all of mankind and He has certainly blessed the descendants of Ishmael, He specifically had made promises to Abraham that involved the promised son Isaac.

Joseph is another good example. When he was still a youth, he had several dreams that he shared with his family. Jealousy and unbelief caused him to go through many years of delay (and character building and preparation) for the ultimate fulfillment of that promise that he would indeed rule over his brothers and even his father.

God’s timing was perfect – it always is, because He sees everything outside of the limitations of time. He knew where Abraham would waver. He knew the refining process Joseph needed to go through for the enormous responsibilities he would have as the second in command to the most powerful empire in the world at that time.

If you go through the history of Israel, particularly the prophets, you can see that all of them “saw in part and prophesied in part”. When you move into the New Testament, most every author believed they were in the last generation before the return of Christ. If you go through church history, you will see more of the same.

Particularly when it comes to end times predictions. I have been around long enough to see many “dates” set, only to come and go, when a segment of the church believed Jesus would be coming back! He is coming back! But I am living my life each and every day on two different planes. I live as though He might come back today (at least for me) – therefore I want to make sure my relationships are healthy and my conscience is clean every day.

I try to keep short accounts with anything that would cause me to be offended or displeasing to the Lord. The other perspective I try to keep in the forefront of my mind every day is to “occupy until He comes”. I am building for future generations. I want to leave this world in better condition than when I was born. I have personal plans that will take me into the next ten to fifteen years of my life. Like Paul, “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Paul went on to say he would rather go on to be with the Lord (he had glimpsed the things to come) but he knew that it would be far better for those he was leading to stay here for a season longer.

I think we need to do whatever we can to leave a legacy for the next generation, but I also think we need to live out every single day as though it might be our last day to affect and influence someone else and their destiny.

I honestly believe that my best days are still ahead of me! I have promises and desires that have yet to come to pass. I wake up each morning with expectation, looking for ways to make a difference.

We do not fully understand the sovereignty of God. Hebrews chapter eleven has always been one of my favorite chapters. It talks about the heroes of the faith.

Some of those listed would not have been on the list if I had written it. Sampson is listed as one of those heroes and yet his later days were lived out in prison with his eyes put out having chosen the lusts of his flesh over the call of God on his life. God did let him get vengeance in his death, but I imagine there might have been a better ending if he had not made some of the unwise choices he did. I am amazed at the way God looks at our lives compared to how we or others may see us. Most of those heroes had times in their lives where we would say they were not living up to what God had called them. Some, like David, had moral failure, murder and other less than sterling qualities in their lives and yet God not only loved them and used them for His purposes, but He “bragged on them” in the book of Hebrews!

I have had areas in my own life that I thought would disqualify me from some of the promises God had made to me. Yet He has restored and healed me and does use me to be a blessing to others. Amazing! I have not earned His love or mercy or grace — He bestowed it generously and freely. That is why we must do the same. Some of those most broken by the world or despised because of their “flaws” are the ones the Lord can use the best. His promises are to every single one of us who come to Him with trust and in faith. Do not become weary and lose heart. Continue to believe what the Lord has spoken to you. “All of His promises are yes and amen.”