Hebrews 10: 35-38 « So do not throw away your confidence;
it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done
the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little
while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. And, “But my righteous[g]
one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. »
Isaiah
55 : 11 « so is my word that goes out
from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I
desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. »
Habakkuk 2: 3 « For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of
the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will
certainly come and will not delay. »
Today’s message
is a continuation of the text published at the end of April. As promised, we
will address four different groups through this theme.
This message is
for those who have been waiting a long time for a promise from God to be
fulfilled. Discouraged by the delay, they have abandoned their relationship
with God, believing that He has forgotten them.
Indeed, all (or
nearly all) Christians have experienced a period of waiting that dragged on to
the point where doubt gradually took root in their hearts; this led some to
lose faith in God and turn away from Him entirely. During this time, they
certainly saw their brothers and sisters receive their blessings without delay
and, perhaps, easily, without long periods of fasting and prayer. Surely, they
asked themselves questions such as: Is God punishing me? Why them and not me?
When will my turn come? Will my turn ever come? Does God still remember me? And
likely, they felt jealousy and frustration. All of this is normal, for we are
made of flesh. However, it becomes problematic when we no longer repent of
these things because we have justified them. Thus, these doubts and feelings
are fed to the point that they take root in our hearts and guide our decisions.
We therefore no longer listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who comforts and
edifies us; instead, we embrace the devil’s lies, just as Eve did. We give in
to pride by being jealous of others; we think we deserve what they have. And
because of our impatience—since we believe God’s promise is owed to us—we fail
to see it as a gift of grace. The Bible clearly tells us that God resists the
proud.
James 4: 6 « But
he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but
shows favor to the humble.»
To all brothers
and sisters who have gone through this kind of trial or are currently going
through it and who have turned away from God, we want you to know that it is
not too late to repent, turn back, and return to God. Indeed, as soon as we
sincerely repent (Proverbs 28:13), He is ready to forgive repeatedly
(2 Chronicles 7). And the Bible also tells us that beyond the
forgiveness He grants to those who acknowledge their faults, He forgets them
and restores their lives (Micah 7:18). For God does not hold grudges as we do; He
does not love as we do; and above all, He knows and understands the challenges
we face in our human journey—having Himself walked that path when He chose to
redeem us.
We want to
remind you, through this text, that God is faithful to His word; He watches
over His word (Jeremiah 1:12); He cares for it because all
creation rests on His word. As illogical as what He has promised may seem,
simply trust Him and you will see its fulfillment, for nothing—absolutely
nothing—is impossible for Him.
