So….I’m sitting here working. Booking plane tickets for my client. Sorting through emails. And watching a dream come true. (It’s so cool to get to work from anywhere that has wifi.)
That’s right. I’m watching a dream come true. Watching faith become sight.
My husband is a worship leader. Singer. Songwriter. And ever since I’ve known him, he’s had a dream to record.
And here we are at Innovate Records…all it took was a dream, a divine appointment, God’s provision, and 19 years later – he’s recording. Easy Peasy, right?
Well….not so much.
I’d like to say that we never got frustrated. Never lost hope. Never almost gave up. That we just maintained our joy and walked on top of the world by faith while we waited.
But, we didn’t. We fought. We struggled. We got frustrated. Discouraged. Depressed. We got weak and weary. And oh…did I mention the tears? “God if you were going to do this, I’m sure you would have done this by now!”
I think Abram could relate.
Abram and God had a conversation in Genesis 15. God came to him. He initiated the conversation.
All the other times He appeared to Abram, He started off with the promise. “This is what I’m going to do for you. Isn’t it awesome?”
But this time, they are 10’ish years past the promise. Ten. Years. Abram was 10 years into this faith walk. Ten years of nothing “happening.” Nothing looking any different.
And God appears to him again, but He doesn’t lead off with the promise. This time it’s more personal.
“Don’t be afraid. I am your shield. I am your exceeding great reward.”
To which Abram replies, “Hey. I don’t know what you can do for me. I still don’t have a child. Still childless here. It’d be kind of nice if You actually did what You said, don’t ya think?” (This is my paraphrase, of course. You can read the actual response here.)
Can you sense the frustration? The discouragement? The doubt? “I’m still childless. What can you give me?”
And then God did the most amazing thing in verse 5. Something so intimate. He took him outside. I love that!
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5)
In the midst of Abram’s discouragement, God just looked at him and said, “Time out. Come with Me. Let’s go outside for a sec and get a different perspective. Look up at those stars. What do you see? What I see is a picture of how many offspring you’ll have. You’re concerned about an heir. I’m talking about countless descendants. Take a deep breath and try to see what’s not there.”
God took him outside. He took him by the hand and said, “Come walk with Me.”
Intimacy. Relationship. Presence.
And Abram believed God. Abram stayed steadfast to the Lord.
Abram didn’t just believe the words God spoke. Abram pressed into the presence of God. He pressed into the intimacy. He pressed into God Himself.
And that made all the difference between discouragement and faith. Between giving up and pressing on.
We look at Abram and see a strong man of faith who stood and persevered and believed and received the promise.
But he also had his moments of questions and doubts and discouragement.
I’m so thrilled for my husband’s dream coming to pass. To be honest, I’ve got some dreams of my own. Things He whispered to my heart almost 25 years ago that I’m still waiting for. Praying over. Trusting.
If you’re facing that crossroad today where to the left there’s doubt and depression and discouragement and to the right is trust and strength and Him, you’re in good company. Abram faced it. We faced it.
Take a moment and just let Him take you outside and show you the stars. Remind you of who He is. Let Him enthrall you with the intimacy of His presence. Keep your hope firmly planted in the One who whispered the promise in the first place.
He is our shield against the discouragement and doubt. He is our reward – more amazing than any dream or desire. Every promise is hidden in Him. Hidden in His heart.
He just wants all of me to want all of Him. The rest comes after that.