Between. Ever find yourself there? Let me explain. I've heard a good deal of discussion in Christian circles about God's promises and His provision. After all, it's exhilarating to read about the things God spoke to the men of old and the miracles he performed to bring about their fulfillment. Who isn't inspired by Moses parting the Red Sea and Elijah calling down fire on Mount Carmel? Or how about Jesus healing the blind man and raising Lazarus from the grave? I love to read about God moving in the lives of others.
But sometimes it's easy for us to miss the "between." This is the time after the promise and before the provision. A good portion of scripture is dedicated to recording the "between" in the lives of God's people. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has lived the Christian life for a while, for the same is true for us. Much of life is lived between God's promises and his provision.
While this may sound disparaging, it's so important to remember that God wants to do great things in us while we await the answer to our prayer. While the promise and the provision teach us about who God is, I have found that the time between teaches us to depend on God. And it's through our dependence on Him that we truly come to know Him. With that said, I'd like to do a series of blogs over the next few weeks called Between.
The principles I will share are ones that I have been chewing on during my current "between" time. Perhaps you find yourself between the promise and provision of God as well. Take heart, my friend. Be strong! You're not alone. Stay tuned for more to come.
2 comments:
I am glad we are not alone!
I think the most commonly quoted promise that we hold on to is Jeremiah 29:11. When I got back from Africa, God allowed me to read 29:10, and the whole passage made a lot more sense. He was explaining how they needed to live while they were in exile. He said that quite a few years would pass, but that He would remember them. (can't remember if it was 40 or 70 years... either one is a very long time!) I always think about that when people quote the famous verse 11. God's timing and purposes for the in-between are hard for us to understand, but we can trust that eventually, He will take us out.
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