Praise & Pray

If you've ever purchased a home, you'll be familiar with the term 'escrow'. An escrow account is used by a potential homebuyer to deposit money. It is an act of good faith to reassure that they've committed to buy the property and will move forward with the process. It is not unusual to seek reassurance in our human relationships and it should not be abnormal to respectfully seek reassurance from the Lord. Particularly when He has promised you something. Such promises can be specific to you or general, as contained in the Bible.

Abraham sought reassurance in Genesis 15. The Lord had promised him the land of Canaan and we are told in Genesis 15:8 - But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” He essentially asked how he was to trust that the Lord's word would come to pass. Now pay attention to what God did next - He entered into an unbreakable covenant with Abraham. He instructed Abraham to bring some animals for a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed and God brought the fire to burn those animals. Through a sacrificial offering, God, therefore, entered into an eternal agreement with Abraham, swearing upon His own name to do what He'd promised. He gave Abraham even more details on how he'd come to possess Canaan (Genesis 15:9-16). These details came to pass and continue to be true today.

Has God told you something but you're not sure it'll come to pass? It could be because you can't see how such is possible or because it's been such a long time since receiving the promise. Listen, God is not a liar, so if He's made a promise, He will bring it to pass. Your job is to believe and continue to walk with Him till that promise is fulfilled. After all, Hebrews 11:1 tells us, Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. We therefore have to tap into our faith to get us through and indeed, it is best to believe blindly. Nevertheless, God knows that we are human and we struggle. This is why Jesus told us to at least believe in His miracles and the works He's done. These works are evidence of God's faithfulness and act as something trustworthy that we can hold onto.

And now, we also know we can ask the Lord to reassure us of His promises as He did for Abraham. God performed a miracle, providing the fire that burnt the sacrificial offering. This was evidence of His power and might. It reassured Abraham that the same God who miraculously provided the fire to complete the agreement would do what He'd promised and more. Similarly, King Hezekiah asked the Lord for a sign that His promised healing would arrive in 2 Kings 20:8. God displayed His might by making a shadow go backwards, just as the king asked. Also, Gideon had God reassure him that he would indeed be the one to free his people as God had promised (Judges 6:36-40).

Before you get on your knees to ask God for His reassurance, please keep the following in mind. First, for each of these examples, the men who sought reassurance were at a relatively early stage in their walk with God. If you've been walking with God for a while and have seen proof of His might in your life and that of others, this approach may not walk for you. God expects believers to walk by faith and not by sight, after all (2 Corinthians 5:7). Second, each of these men asked for reassurance after receiving a promise from the Lord. If you want God to reassure you of a self-motivated request - one driven by you - and not His freely given promise, please don't quote me. Third, the men above all received immediate signs of God's power not the immediate fulfillment of the promise. This is a key for us to ask God to reassure through the display of His might. We must therefore look to see how He does so and once He does, we must not only praise Him for indulging us but thank Him for His blessed assurance.

A key scripture to ask God for reassurance of His promise is Psalm 119:49 - Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. And when you are in the proverbial valley, struggling to see the mountain top, plead with Psalm 85:7 - Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation. That love He has for you, will translate into something happening. There is also 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. God is faithful to not let the expectations of the righteous be cut short (Proverbs 23:18). You can thus ask Him for reassurance by providing a way to endure the wait until His word is fulfilled in your life.

May the Lord hear and answer your request for reassurance as you wait on His promises to come to pass, IJMN Amen. See you at Noon EST.