Living Your Faith, Waiting on the Promises of God
Psalm 42: 5-6 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul
is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the
There is a difference between words and action. It is easy to profess belief in something and yet another thing to live it. Often in our walk with God we find ourselves professing our faith in God and what He has promised us yet our walk reflects something different entirely. There is a difference between speaking your faith and living your faith.
The Psalmist in Psalm 42 presents an interesting dichotomy that resides in all of us. We are both spirit and soul, simultaneously. Our faith is somewhat easier found in our spirit, where God resides and is on the throne. In the soul however is where we feel. It is where our emotions dwell. It is where we fear, doubt, and worry. Literally the Psalmist is talking from one part of his being to the other in Psalm 42. He is asking himself, "Self, why are you sad?" In this battle the spirit is telling the soul, whether you like it or not, I will yet praise Him!
We usually know the promises God has spoken to us. We know the word He has given to us. We hold them closely to our hearts within our spirit yet we allow our soul to drag us down; to weigh us down. We can walk around sad or depressed because we do not like the wait that God is allowing. We can walk around confused or discouraged because the promises of God are taking longer than we would like. In our society, we expect things done at our leisure and our discretion. But God does not operate in our time. Take Joseph, who was given a vision from God at a young age. Joseph held that vision, that word from God, close to his heart. Yet life would take Joseph down some cruel turns. He would be betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. He would gain prominence in the house of Potipher only to be falsely accused and thrown into prison for over a decade! Can you imagine having to spend a decade in prison for something you did not even do? For doing the right thing? There was plenty of reason for Joseph to feel downcast in his soul and doubt the word God had given him. Yet the bible never tells us he was discouraged. What about Abraham and Sarah? God promised them a child yet would let them wait 30 years for Isaac! They waited so long that by all human standards they should not have been able to have children; all for the glory of God.
What then is the promise of God for those who wait for Him?
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
The picture drawn by the prophet Isaiah is a three fold promise from God to those who choose to wait for His time. First, God promises to renew your strength. He understands that the wait is not pleasant. He understands that you cannot get through on your own power. He is there to renew your strength, so you can face your trials every day until He brings His promises to pass in your life. Secondly, God promises that you will rise above your situations. You will in fact "mount up with wings as eagles" and be able to soar in the midst of a situation that many would drown in. Lastly, God is promising that you will endure. Though you run you will not be weary and though you walk, you will not faint. God is promising that your situation will not win over you in the end! Hallelujah!
Yet there we sit in our situations, professing faith in God but allowing the enemy a foothold in our mind. Allowing the whispers to pervade our thinking. You may start to doubt the word that has been given to you. You may start to even think that God has forgotten the promises He has made to you. Don't believe the lies of the enemy -
