Protecting The Promise
Has God ever spoken something so powerful, wonderful, and beautiful over you that it scared you? It scared you because you did not think it was possible, or if you believed it was possible you were scared of what it would mean to fully walk into that promise? It would mean you have to get uncomfortable and step out into something you have never done before. It would mean you have to start taking steps toward the direction of the promise.
God has called us all to something greater than we can ever imagine, but so many of us hear His voice and dream about the promise without taking any steps forward.
Maybe you were full of faith during an encounter you had with Him where He spoke to you about a promise He has for your life. You were excited so you shared it with someone you thought would encourage you and instead they told you all the reasons that you could never see that promise come to pass in your life.
In that moment we have a choice, do we chose to take the easy way out and say, “yeah you’re probably right, I could never do that.” Or do we continue to believe in the promise. The truth is that when God calls us to something it will never be easy, we will never think we are the right ones, but the reality is that He chooses us for that specific promise so that He gets the glory when it comes to pass. Because it is something we never could have done on our own.
We have to come to this place in our lives where other people’s opinions do not dictate God’s truth and what He says over us. “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29)
So how do we get to this place?
Honestly, I am still learning, this is not an easy task, but here are four things that have helped me press on regardless of what those around me think.
Spending time with our Creator is the most important thing we can do to protect the promise. He knows better than we do why He created us and the plans that He has for us. When we are in His presence all we see is Him, when all we see is Him nothing else matters. “Come near to God and and He will come near to you…” (James 4:8)
Meditate on the promises. When God speaks to you write down what He says to you personally and what He says to you through others. When I receive an encouraging word or prophetic word I write it down and take it before my Father in heaven. I ask Him to confirm it. If He does I keep those words written down and I look at them over and over again, especially when I am feeling discouraged. “I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.” (Psalm 119:148)
Protect the promise. Be wise when you share what God is saying to you with the people around you. God has given you a promise and it is your responsibility to protect it. If we are letting just anyone in to have an opinion it’s harder to protect what He has said over us. Find people who love you and believe in you, people who hear from God, and people who are real with you. There will always be people who discourage us, but we have to choose to believe God in those times and not let man’s opinions deter us from God’s plan. “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19–20)
Pursue your passion. That thing that God has put in you, that you can’t stop dreaming about and thinking about, do it. Continue to take steps to learn more about whatever it is, practice your passion. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” (Psalm 37:4)
Just don’t get so caught up in pursuing your passion that you forget to pursue the One who gave you that passion. “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek Him.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)
The most important thing you can do is pursue what God has called you to do. He called you to it to bring Him glory and He wants to use your passion and giftings to point people to Him. Spend more time with Him and in His presence, protect the promises, and walk them out.
The world is waiting for you to step into what God has for you and introduce them to Him through what He has given you and promised you. Be bold, be resilient, and fall more in love with Jesus as you pursue what He has for you.