God Remembers

I haven't been consistent in writing, not sure If I had lost the muse or just didn't prioritize the time to do what needs to be done for good writing. It's probably the latter.

We get caught up in our day-to-day activities. Sure I've been in church, and 99% of the music I listen to would be pleasing in God's sight. But I'll be honest, the real deep connecting I haven't been consistent with. I haven't read my bible, and prayer is still a struggle. I don't know what it is about that time of pause and reflection that is just really hard for me to do. It might be that my mind runs a mile a minute, and every time I try to pray I'm instantly distracted, or the fact that in order to pause I feel like I have to have everything else in the world, ok house, accomplished before I can focus on a prayer. Again it's likely the latter. Any excuse to put off pause, unless of course it's to pause and watch my favorite show, or whatever.

Anyway you shape it, I haven't been consistent. So this past week I decided that would change. I'm back at the gym, I'm back to early mornings and most importantly I'm doing a deep dive into the word. In the form of an old testament survey course through an online platform that gives lectures, assignments, quizzes and actual grades, and it's not even part of my major.

But this week I am assigned to read Genesis 12-36 and do the assigned readings and lectures. So I started bright and early this morning. The story of Abram and God's promises to him.

As I was reading something struck me pretty quickly. I had never paid attention to all the promises God actually makes him. Sure we are all familiar with God saying He'd make him a great nation, but God also told Abram a few other things to give him reassurance in his journeys.

I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

God promised Abram that he would curse anyone that treated him with contempt. To me

that means Abram had safety in God's eyes. But what did he do when He ventured into new territory with his wife.

He said "Hey Babe, I'm afraid you're so beautiful people will kill me so they can have you for themselves... I got an Idea.. How about you tell them you're my sister."

And she said alright honey... I'll do it for you.

And what happens. Sure, Pharoah treats Abram well... BUUUUUT he also takes Sarai to into his house for himself.

Long story short this didn't go well and Pharoah and he returns to Abram like "Yo man, why did you lie to me???"

And that's when it hit me. Abram FORGOT God's blessing.

Or he underestimated it and sadly for him, he'd play this trick all over again all for the same reason.

Fear can really take a toll on someone.

You've seen it on t-shirts, postcards, inspirational graphics "Faith Over Fear" is such a commonplace saying that it's not even almost cliché. Sometimes it loses all meaning because we forget that in the face of fear, we can lose faith.

And if Abram, later to be named Abraham, can so easily forget God's promises. What chance do we have?

Now, God hasn't presented Himself to me personally, at least not in tangible form and said "Hey Hillary, these are the promises I have for you... You're going to achieve all your dreams, nothing bad will happen to you, and everything you do will be blessed."

Can everyone agree that this would be nice??

So, we may not have had a heart to heart with an angel, but we do have the promises that God gives all his believers written in the bible if you just read it enough to know them... or just google God's promises to His children and you'll see.

God promises that he will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:9)

God promises peace (Philippians 4:6-7)

God promises to be our strength in our weakness (Matthew 11:28-30)

God promises to provide (Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:31-33)

God promises guidance when we can't understand (Proverbs 3:5-6)

And ultimately God promises eternal life. (John 3:16)

I may not have the promise that nothing bad will happen to me, but I do have the promise that all things work together for them that love the Lord.

I may not have the promise of a mansion on a hill BUT I have a promise that God will provide for my needs.

When we lose sight that God is the ultimate provider and has good plans for us, we may feel the need to take matters into our own hands.

Just like that time Abram and Sarai were childless and she said "Hey... I have an idea... how about you try to get my servant pregnant since I'm still barren"

I may lose sight of the blessings that God has provided when I focus on what God hasn't provided without remembering, that God hasn't forgotten me. Sometimes I forget that His timing is never late and we can't force him to come early.

We may forget God's promises to us, but rest assured in this that God never does.