When we read His word, our prayers change. With every new chapter and verse, God reveals to us who He is and who we are in Him. When we understand our position in Christ, we're not praying from a place of shame or regret but rather a place of righteousness and faith. Knowing that the grace we so freely received was however bought at the highest price. It not only makes us want to serve Him with all that we do, but humbles us to know that He values us at the highest standard, not because of our works, but because of His sacrifice and love for us.
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Hebrews 6:13-15 (NIV)
In times of patience and waiting, we, like our father Abraham, learn to trust Him, knowing that He is holding Himself accountable. It is for this very reason that we have an unshakeable foundation of faith, for He is true to His promises, even if the promise takes longer than we expected it to take.
If however, we received the promise before the destined time, we wouldn't have the character and humility to endure the promise, to stand in a place of awe and wonder and with our hands lifted high bring all the glory and honor to Him.
It was through the waiting that we learned He is steadfast. It was through sickness, that we got to know Him as our healer. It was through confusion and doubt that we saw Him as our strong and firm foundation. It was through the heartache that we experienced His wrapped around love and comfort. It was through sadness and tears that we felt the warmth and safety of His arms and heard the beat of His heart as He pulled us towards His chest. It was through moments of fear and trouble that He came through as our protector. And it was in having nothing that we saw Him as our provider.
How can we testify about His goodness and mercy, if we haven't been in a situation where we were truly dependant on Him for our very next breath or guidance? How can we testify about His wisdom, if we've never faced an obstacle that we didn't know the answer to?
It was in standing in His provision that we knew He is faithful in keeping His promises and with that, we as brothers and sisters in Christ, can share in our character-building seasons. Building each other's faith and getting to know our Father in ways that we don't even fully know the depth to.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV)
Charl Thompson - Every step of the way (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02RHzc_w6cs)
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