When the journey to our promised land is still in process and our giants have not yet been driven away, as humans we have a tendancy to become impatient and loose our trust in God's promises. But have you ever felt like a fool when the trial is over, God's promise has been fufilled and all you can think about is what a drama queen you were when you screamed, cried, and stomped your feet asking, "Why?" Looking back, did your timeline go something like the timeline below?
Year 1: "Trials make me strong"
Year 2: "I can do all things thru Chirst"
Year 3: (wah!) "Where are you?"
Year 4:(ahh!) "When God,When"
Year 5: "Geez,Finally!"
Mine did. And I hated it. Well God was upset too. He was not concerned like, "Oswald Chambers" wrote in one of his devotionals, on the reward or ending, God is most concerned about the process. During the trial did we trust Him like Abraham or did we complain like the Israelites.
In the key verse above God is angry with the Israelites because He showed His power time and time again, however, they would always complain and wonder why they were not just left in Egypt as slaves. They unlike God, were concerned for their reward at the end of the trial, rather than the reward during the trial.
During the trial, the Israelites were blessed with the priveledge to have God guide them through their journey:
"By day the LORD went ahead of them in a column of smoke to lead them on their way. By night he went ahead of them in a column of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or by night." Ex 13:21
During the trial, the Israelite were blessed with provision:
"These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”’ Deut 2:7
During the trial, the Israleite were carried like a Father carries His child:
" and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” deut 1:31
God was there with them in bigger ways than just listening to their prayers. He was working, He was moving things around, He was providing, He was presenting Himself and He was carrying them. He does this for each of His children going through the storms of life. Our worries, anxieties, and fears blind us from seeing the beauty of the storm.
Why is it that when we watch a storm with lightning or tornadoes or huge, waves, through our TV sets or computers, we awe in amazement of the beauty of each bright, electrifying lighting in the middle of a pitch black sky, or the power of the waves with fishes floating by, or the great impressive tornadoes, tunneling around?
It is because you are watching from another view, from a view where there is no fear, from a view where you can see the beauty in the storm.
Our Father wants us to be dependent on His care, trusting His every move, even when the move seems scary.
Do not fail the test of faith. God will ask you to turn in your timeline once the test is over, and you do not want to have a timeline like mine. It needs to be trust all the way!
Father,
Forgive us for believing in our fears more than in You. Help us to push away our worries and jump in your arms, as you carry us through our wilderness. Amen
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