Have you ever heard the expression: “I trust him as far as I can throw him”? If you haven’t, you probably still get the picture pretty easily. Most of us, even the very strong, could only throw a person a couple of yards at best. Within our community, and even our close friend circles, we all have an extent to where we trust each other, and it’s usually not much. Some people we trust more than others, and for every person in our lives, there has to be a certain amount of trust or faith we place in them. We trust the bus driver to show up in the morning, we trust coworkers or employees to show up to work, we trust that friends will show up to coffee dates, we trust friends to keep secrets, and on and on.
And sometimes those people don’t show up, or don’t keep your secret, or don’t follow through. If you’re like me, when that happens you put up a little, tiny wall. No one likes feeling let down, betrayed, or abandoned, so to protect ourselves we trust people a little less. Lower expectations have a lower chance of ending in hurt, right? The dangerous part is that one person can have that effect on all of our relationships, including our relationship with Jesus.
I wonder if you are in a season similar to mine. One that requires complete trust that God will fulfill His promises to you. Now, let me just tell you, God has never given me a reason to doubt that he will deliver on His word. Even still, past betrayals from friends, family, and even acquaintances leave my heart with the fear that this might be another let down. Another promise unfulfilled.
Can I tell you something? To believe that He will withhold His promises to you is to deny the very character of God himself. That might seem extreme but hear me out. It is not the character of a perfect and Holy God to tell His creation, the children He loves, one thing and then do another. Time and time again He proves his faithfulness to us. Need some proof? Fine:
Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?“
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises“
Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever.”
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church forever.”
I don’t know about you, but that last verse always floors me. Going back to trusting others- how many times have you asked someone for a favor, and not only expected them to deliver on that favor, but go above and beyond what we ask or can even imagine? I don’t think I’ve ever had that expectation for someone. But that’s what we can expect from God. Not only will He deliver EVERY promise He has made to us, but He will deliver immeasurably more!! I’m close to tears even writing this because all I can think is how much love you have to have for a person to go above and beyond even their imagination. It’s almost unfathomable.
It doesn’t matter what season of life you’re in, God has made promises to you that He WILL see through. I hope you feel the confidence rising in your chest as you read this, I know I feel it writing it! Ask, He says, and you will receive! Knock, and the door will be opened! (Mathew 7:7)
Boldly claim His promises, friends. And remember, expect immeasurably more (:
