Frustration ... the Road to God's Promises

So you know that blog on God's Faithfulness I promised ... it's still coming ... it just isn't this one


This one is on ... what it's like until God's faithfulness to His promises is fulfilled in your life (crummy title ... so I went with something else ;D) On that note, the title for this blog comes from something I heard the other night.


I was discussing with some friends of mine (that I cherish, trust, and respect greatly) the unfulfilled promises of God in my life, and I was expressing how frustrated I am with waiting. That there is no real semblance of that promise being fulfilled in my life at the moment, but God is adamant that He has it, and has it "soon." So, my friend explained a teaching he and his wife had recently heard on Frustration vs Irritation. The difference being that frustration is not only normal, it's ok! Wait, what?!?! Yes ... 


Frustration, is terms of life with Christ, is when you are in a certain place. Knowing you are within God's will in that place ... no rebellion ... you are where you are 'supposed' to be. Now, in that place God is telling you all about this thing He has ... this awesome promise. In my case this is a promise He's been talking about for 6.5 years, and more frequently recently, but again NOTHING in my actual reality to say that it's really gonna happen. Anyway, so you are standing in the will of God, and God is telling you about this thing He has for you ... but you aren't there yet ... the space between those two realities is Frustration. I can't tell you how much sense that made to me in that moment.


I've become accustomed to ... what I like to call ... 'mourning the promises of God.' I had, what I will call a revelation, on this subject while doing a recent fast. I have been spending a lot of time reading, and identifying, with the Prophets. During this fast, I hit a point where I was overcome with sorrow, and my spirit was grieving. This is an odd sensation to have, especially when God is saying it's ok to feel that way. I sought Him for an explanation on what I was experiencing, and He showed me, through reading the accounts and writings of the prophets, that I was mourning the things in God's heart that are yet undone. It was a regular thing for the Prophets of the OT to 'fast and mourn.'


I want to first take a moment to expound on that, as a means of encouragement to you reading this. Because, this was a beautiful thing for me to get to experience. God's heart to bring me that promise is so great, and because of that there is a literal spiritual mourning for it to be accomplished. He doesn't make promises that He isn't prepared to 'make good on.' God doesn't promise us things as lip service to our desires. If it is truly a promise from God, you better believe He will do it. It may not be when you want, but IT WILL BE DONE! Thank you JESUS!


so ... Grieving the unfulfilled promises of God is normal ... but what you do with it ... that's the tricky part.


I know for me getting to a place of self-pity from that place of mourning is not only easy ... it's almost automatic. That is a scary and unhealthy place to go. God doesn't want us soooooo fixed on the future that we miss out on the now. The blessings and beauty of where you are right now are experiences you will never get back if you neglect or waste them. SO DON'T WASTE THEM!


If you allow yourself to become depressed or overcome with grief then you are actually doubting that God will do what He said, you are placing your own perception over the wisdom and Word of God. That mourning feeling is actually such an encouragement to me ... I KNOW God is going to do it ... I don't need to doubt it, fear it, or question it. God's will be done. Amen! 


My closing statement hopefully will be the best of this whole thing ...


God doesn't give us promises so we will fixate on them, ponder them, try to figure out how they will be done. He gives us them to free us from all that. So that we KNOW that is already something on God's heart for us, so we can focus on OTHER THINGS! So, trust God. Whatever your promise is ... Let it go, knowing it's in good hands.