We have all had those moments when we hear one thing, but our minds believe another. Our temptation is to ignore what doesn’t make sense or to force it to make sense. Even if we are not active in our attempt, our minds are trying to resolve the conflict. What do you do when something doesn’t line up in your mind? In your experience? Or maybe even your gut? We all do something.
Abram did something. Abram asked questions. God was saying one thing and Abram was experiencing another. God promised Abram offspring and descendants, yet he was still childless. God repeated his promise, yet Abram’s situation stayed the same. After God repeated himself again saying, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great,” Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless?” (Genesis 15:1–2).
God, in his patience and graciousness, repeated himself and got even more specific. He said, “your very own son shall be your heir. . . . Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. . . . So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:4–5). It says that Abram believed the Lord, and God counted it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Abram’s belief was aligned with God’s ways.
We all need echoes, or reminders, of God’s faithfulness. We get discouraged, we get weary in waiting, and we question who God is and what he will do. God welcomes our honesty, our questions, and our weariness. He sees our humanity, and he meets us in our frailty. Sometimes we are afraid to question God aloud. We may not have friends who let us question God. But God allows us to ask, to express, and to be honest with him about our confusion and discouragement.
And he is gracious to give us these reminders. We see them in the life of Abram, the lives of others in Scripture, and even in the life of Jesus. We need reminders, and God does not get upset that we ask. He is gracious to give.
As we learned earlier, God moves toward action and makes a promise (Genesis 15:7–21). Abram didn’t have to do anything, and he didn’t have to make sense of it all. God would completely and unilaterally take care of these promises. God would line it all up.
When things don’t line up I try to fix it myself without checking with God. I think to myself how I know what to do only to mess things up even more. I’m learning to be patient with God’s plan and his timing even though it may take awhile.
I’m tempted to try to figure things out &/or doubt God. I need to remember this story & bring my questions & frustrations to the Lord & align my faith with what He tells me in his word
Sometimes, in my mind I would get frustrated at a situation that doesn’t line up to my expectations. I would react rather than think it through. For instance, my mother calls me during the worst time at work because she’s not feeling well and she knows work is bad for me right now. My first reaction is being annoyed with her. But then my after thought is maybe she is just lonely and not feeling well. Then I just pray for her and ask God to help me with her and it’s like God lifted a weight off my shoulders.
I get stressed out when something doesn’t line up in my life. I try to resolve it on my own, while I should be going right to God for help.
When something doesn’t line up in my life, I tend to ask "why?" I question God’s intentions. This 2021 year has been full of unexpected things: 5 surgeries, abdominal wound, iliostomy temporarily to allow my colon to heal from surgery and many other unexpected health issues. This story encourages me to keep on waiting with an expected hope that things will improve and I will heal completely to tell my story.
Sometimes I’m frustrated or angry, confused or worried. I attempt every which way to resolve it. I use logic to try to figure out a solution. I am learning slowly to trust God with what I don’t understand with my 5 senses, or with my logic. In past experiences God has done some wonderfully amazing things in my family. Hanging onto those experiences helps me get through the one I face now.
In the past, I have made the mistake of trying to force things to line up. Forging my own path as if I could do better than God. Even now I have to be so careful to not get ahead of God. To not complain against what He’s doing. Trust and patience are soooo hard for me. Undoubtedly my 2 largest obstacles. But I know God meets me there. And reminds me where I am weak he is strong. Thank God ❤️
Whenever things don’t line up, I always doubt and then just ignore it and move on. For some reason, I have always felt like God is going to be so upset with me for having doubts even though He has proven Himself to me throughout my entire life. I am thankful for the reminder that “He sees our humanity, and He meets us in our frailty.” My prayer is that I will trust in Him, continue to dive into His Word, and find answers. I pray that I will wait patiently for Him because He never fails.
When something doesn’t line up in my life, I am tempted to take matters into my own hands and attempt to resolve things myself. This part of Abram’s story is very encouraging because he did not need to do anything. God made a promise and would bring that promise to fruition. Abram need not worry or stress. It’s so easy to say but hard to practice! Lord give me patience. Lord help me rest in you, my shield, when my life is in chaos and out of order. Lord help me believe you are making a way for me and will take care of everything! You are so good. I love you so much. Your ways are so far above my ways. In Jesus name I pray, amen. 🤍
When something doesn’t go the way I planned or envisioned, I tend to get quiet and upset. I then take it out on the people who don’t have anything to do with it. This is after I have attempted to fix it, at times making it worse. Abram continued to be patient with God even though he questioned. When building my trust with God, I need time and patience.