Abraham’s example in the Old Testament is so profoundly important to us because his deep and great desire was ultimately matched by his deep and abiding faith in God. Known as Abram before God changed his name, Abraham desperately wanted to be a father, and this didn’t just happen to be because he had a random thought. It was his destiny. God told him in Genesis 17:5-6(NLT), “4 This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.” Our Heavenly Father worked through Abraham’s faith and desire to achieve His good and holy purpose within the earth. We can be sure that He wants to do the same thing with us.
Tons of us have been praying for something that we want really bad. It might be a prayer request that we’ve been praying about a really long time, and we’re wondering if God is going to do it for us. Our hearts are for Him. We’ve known the Father and been on this journey for more than a minute. We’ve walked with Him, cried out to Him in the midnight hour, and delighted in His presence with praise. We’re knee deep in the trenches, going through all the everyday toils that come with life on earth. And we’re doing it fully prepared to defend and champion our faith in the Father through Christ, but when it comes to this deep desire of our hearts, sometimes it feels like we’re wading through a sea of molasses. “It’s got to be easier!” we think to ourselves. Why is it that we can never seem to be in direct proximity to what we desire most?
The wrong answer
Many people wrongly believe that God keeps them separated from their great desires. They might think that He is punishing them for some reason or that they are undeserving of these blessings. 1John 1:5(NLT) declares, “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” Our Heavenly Father does not ever punish His children. He chastises us, but never punishes us. He wants our joy to be full, and He wants us to know beyond knowing that He is the Source of that joy. There is no darkness at all in God. He is radiant and full of glory. He brings us into His glorious light and will never take us out of it.
Psalm 84:11(NLT) tells us “For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” The thoughts and attitudes that lead us to believe that God is less than who He tells us He is in His Word are forever and always the wrong answer. He is our sun and shield, and He desires to bless us. So, God never has any part in darkness, but sometimes we do. We dabble, sometimes a little, and sometimes a lot. We behave as if God isn’t watching our every move. He is. Our behaviors, attitudes, words, thoughts, and stewardship convey to the heavens above and everything beneath them whether our faith is where it needs to be.
What is God doing?
Philippians 2:13(NLT), “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” This is what God is doing. The question is always, “What are WE doing?” He is working in us continually through His Holy Spirit that dwells within. He’s not only giving us the desire that pleases Him, but He is also empowering us to bring that desire into fruition, to cause it to transfer from the supernatural to the natural through our faith and action. This is the part we sometimes miss.
There’s no question that it can feel like we’ve done all we know to do. We don’t think there’s anything more to be done, but the reality is that there always is. There is always something the Lord wants us to see and do so that we gain greater faith and also increased spiritual strength to reach out and grab what’s ours. As weary as we think we are, through the Holy Spirit, we have more strength than we could ever imagine. We are headed to a place where our faith in God, and His love and power, not equals but exceeds the greatness of our desires. It’s where we truly and deeply recognize that our quests for greater health and wellness, greater love, greater financial independence, and a deeper relationship with God through Christ are His desires for us as well. Our fully persuaded faith in Him will bring them to pass.■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“When You Want Something Really Bad” written by Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
