This season of waiting on the Lord has been particularly exhaustive. Although we’ve seen God move mountains, it still feels like we’ll never reach the place that He’s spoken over us. Why are we still here, God? When will we get there, God?
Just the other day, my husband expressed his frustrations. He questioned whether we’re even in the place that God has called us to be. Because if we are actually following God…if we are actually doing what He told us to do, then why aren’t we seeing the fruit of our faith? Why does it feel like we’re in this holding pattern, unable to make progress toward promise?
I began to hear discouragement in my husband’s voice, when something rose up inside of me. I told him that my view of our situation is completely different. Yes, this process of waiting on God is taking forever, but that doesn’t mean that we are doing something wrong. That doesn’t mean that we are outside of the will of God.
How do I know this?
Because I spent years believing and waiting for God to heal my marriage. And during that time, I saw way more ups than downs. Many days I either saw no progress, or the situation got much worse. There were times when I questioned whether I had made the right decision to stay. Did God really promise me healing? Was I crazy to believe that He could really work a miracle in my jacked up situation?
I spent my days in the presence of God. I prayed. I believed. I continued to stay. But at the end of the day what was I getting in return? It seemed that the answer was–nothing. But what I didn’t understand is that God always makes something out of nothing. It didn’t matter how bad my marriage got. It didn’t matter that reconciliation seemed impossible. God is above all, and through His sovereignty…He healed my marriage anyway.
God makes something out of nothing.
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)
Hebrews 11:1 is such a popular scripture. Many of us can probably quote it verbatim, but do we live it?
We’re so used to relying on the facts. We put our faith in what we can comprehend with our natural senses, and we forget what faith really is. Because faith has nothing to do with what we see. It has nothing to do with what our situation looks like, or what we can understand. Faith is the complete opposite of all of that.
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Hebrews 11:3 NLT)
This is such a powerful scripture. Just think about it. Everything we see now came from the unseen. The trees and all the plants of the earth came from the unseen. The mountains, the lakes, and the rivers came from the unseen. God created the earth, everything on it–including us– from what is unseen. And when we walk by faith, He blesses us from the unseen.
Faith is in the unseen.
So, our promise will come from the unseen. We must understand this. Because I am convinced that this is the cause of our frustrations, and I believe that this is also the reason that many people give up. We are all looking to what we can see. Does the promise make sense? Is it even possible? Does it line up with the facts? When it comes to the promises of God, the answer to these questions will always be no. No, it doesn’t make sense. No, it’s not possible. No, it doesn’t line up with the facts. Why? Because if it did…we wouldn't need faith.
Maybe you’re reading this and, like my husband, you’re questioning everything. You’re looking at your situation and it looks nothing like what God’s promised you. Are you wondering if you’re in the right place? Are you wondering if you’re crazy to believe in something that seems so impossible? If so, I want you to know that this is what walking by faith feels like.
Walking by faith is the feeling of uncertainty.
Imagine Abraham, as he left his homeland even though he had no idea where he was going. Imagine Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as they professed their allegiance to the Lord, in defiance to the king. Imagine the disciples, as they left their careers and families behind, to follow the Savior.
In all of these scenarios, God made something out of nothing. Abraham was only a man. He wasn’t qualified to become the father of our faith. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were only men. They weren’t physically able to withstand the fire. The disciples were people like you and me. They weren’t powerful enough to perform miracles. But God made something out of nothing.
When God chose me to fight for my marriage, I had nothing. I was broken. I had no idea what I was doing or how to walk in faith. But still, God did exceedingly abundantly above what I could imagine for my marriage, and He’s still moving to this day.
If you’re walking by faith, there’s no doubt you’ve experienced the feeling of having nothing. You’ve mostly likely felt ill-equipped, unqualified, or unprepared. Maybe you’re working through those feelings right now. If this is the case, allow me to encourage you from a place of triumph…
You might have nothing, but your God specializes in making something out of nothing. He doesn’t need your plans. He doesn’t need your qualifications. He doesn’t need your preparation. All He needs is your yes. All He needs is your faith. He needs your faith to keep going…to keep placing your trust in Him day after day…regardless of what you see. And as you continue to walk…as you continue to trust in Him…He will give you everything that you need along the way. He will bring you to the place that He’s promised you. With Him, all things are possible.
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NKJV)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you are a good and great God. Thank you for reminding me just how magnificent you are. You created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. And I believe that you will do the same thing in my life. Today, I am making the decision to lay my life at your feet. I declare that I will walk by faith, not by sight. I will trust your word. I will obey your instructions, even when they don’t make sense. I believe that you are faithful to your promises. And I have faith that you will lead me to the place that you have prepared for me. Nothing is impossible for you Father. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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