[Insert Name Here], Do You Believe Me?

I have been believing a lie.


This semester I'm taking a night class at UTA. It's a social work class, which is my major, so I absolutely love it. There is a lot of discussion and critical thinking that happens in the class which leads to a lot of conversation with Jesus on the car ride home. The other night I was overcome with emotion and I started crying. I didn't know why I was crying, I just was. If you are a woman you understand these moments. Sometimes crying just happens for no reason. Sorry men.

Anyways, I had been thinking about events that were to come in my life. Tanner moving to Texas, moving out, graduating college, getting married and was just thinking how those things aren't right now. My brain can be so quick to think of how far away these events are. I have grown up in an instant gratification culture. The world and society has been telling me if you want something, you can have it...right now. We can thank fast food, Iphones, and drugs for just some of these behaviors and attitudes. People are searching for instant gratification. "What can make me feel okay right now?"

I had thoughts come in and say, "Samantha, it could be a lot worse. Samantha, your life could look like this. Samantha, you could face something that is a lot more trying than what you're going through right now."

After hearing all these words came to my brain, I just blurted out, "I don't care about what it could be or who I could be like I want to talk about ME."

After all these thoughts I didn't know I was going to start crying, but sometimes crying brings healing. Sometimes God can push that button and the water works are turned on. In those moments, STOP and ask the Lord what's going on. You may not know it but, He's trying to catch your attention.

I started thinking what these thoughts were about. They weren't about me, but someone or something else. I was comparing my situation with another situation. COMPARISON. I knew that was not of God, but I started digging deeper. Why was I doing this? Why was I using comparison here? I mean, for a short time period it would make me feel okay and confident with where I am. I would stop being upset and change a perspective, but it would only last a bit. It was instant which was good and it was gratifying. You see where I'm going here?

I was believing a lie that God was saying these things to me because it was bringing me to a different, more "happier" perspective. But, Satan had put this idea into my heart. If I looked at how my life could be a lot worse, I could feel a little better than I did before about how my life was looking right then. He had set it in so quietly that I had taken it on and made it a repeated behavior without him lifting a finger.

But God is truth and I'm so happy to be His kid. When I was sitting in the car and the tears were rolling it's like God was saying "Enough." My God was saving me from this pit of thinking I had fallen into. He, in the most loving way, presented to me His sweet truth. He reminded me of all the promises He has spoken to me about my future. All the great and sweet moments He is going to lead me through. I have images in my memory of what He has shown me that will come to pass. I encourage you, if you have never received a promise from God ask Him for one. Our God LOVES making promises with His children, because He gets to show you His sweet character. He never fails y'all. Never. He ALWAYS comes through. But, sometimes the wait to see these promises fulfilled is long. We can go through life and sometimes let them go and give up. We look at what's in our hands and what we see with our eyes and forget the holy, omniscient God. We forget what is in His hands and what He sees and most of all we forget His words. His promises are true and we all must wait on Him.

One of my favorite women in ministry is Christine Caine. Her boldness and love for Jesus is contagious. She said this once, "God's way may seem like the long way but it is ultimately the only way...No shortcuts."

There is a famous story in the bible about a man and a woman that didn't want to take the long way. He is actually known for being one of the most patient men in the bible, but at this moment he couldn't wait. Abraham and Sarah wanted a child so badly. They were like any other person, maybe a friend you have, or maybe it's you. You want a child so bad. You want to pass on a legacy. You want to know that love a parent has for a child. Abraham and Sarah felt all of that. God made a promise with Abraham. He tells him in Genesis 15, "a son who will come from your own body will be your heir...Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them..So shall your offspring be." What a promise God has given. God indeed goes above and beyond we could ever ask or imagine. Abraham had heard God speak to Him and say these things! There's no way he would try to go around God's promise and try to speed things up, right?

Sarah, Abraham's wife was in despair. She wanted to leave an heir for her family but she was not able to bear a child and she felt in her old age, it was too late. They must have missed it. She tells Abraham to sleep with one of her servants, Hagar, because surely she will be able to bear a child for him. This definitely seems weird doesn't it? I mean, Sarah is telling her husband to sleep with another woman and he says OKAY. They must have been pretty desperate. They didn't have in vitro back then. They had ran out of ideas and they had ran out of trust and belief in God's promise to them. Hagar did bear a son, Ishmael and God took care of them both, however this was not God's promise. Even though Abraham and Sarah had taken their eyes off of God's promise, to God His promise wasn't going anywhere. Isn't that good news? No matter what we do...God ALWAYS keeps His promise.

Now, when Abraham was 99 years old God appeared to him, AGAIN telling him the covenant and promise He has made with him and Sarah. He laughs in disbelief in Genesis 17 and says, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" God comes right back at him with a "YES." Y'all, Sarah was NINETY years old. God is the God of all things good and He performs miracles! Later in Genesis 18 the Lord appears again as part of the "three visitors," but He promises them AGAIN that He will be back in a year and that Sarah will have a son. They laughed at God. They were full of disbelief but they continued to be obedient to the Lord and walked in His promise and will for them.

Then...In Genesis 22 sweet baby Isaac makes his entrance..."Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as HE HAD SAID, and the Lord did for Sarah what HE HAD PROMISED. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the VERY TIME GOD HAD PROMISED HIM." Abraham and Sarah were in shock and overjoyed. God's promises NEVER fail. While I was speaking to the Lord about all of this I imagined Him, in all His glory sitting on His throne. He's so good. He's so loving, true, sweet, everlasting, and LIVING. He knows every worry, doubt, and struggle. He bends down on His throne and looks me in the eye, the only way a pure and loving Father would to His helpless daughter and He says,

"Daughter, I have made you a promise. Samantha, do you believe me?"

God is seeing if you're going to believe Him. He wants you to believe Him and trust Him with everything. I will be honest, this can be hard to do sometimes. It's when I start taking my eyes off my Daddy's hands and start listening to my own words and not His promises that I start to fear. You may have fear, but don't fret, fear is made perfect in His love and His presence. If you're issue is being unhappy with where you are, because I have been there too, tell Him that. Commune with Him. I promise once you do, your perspective will change. He will show you a promise and He will bring you joy. His ways are perfect and they are meant for your good. Psalm 18:30 says, "God's way is perfect. ALL THE LORD'S PROMISES PROVE TRUE. He is a shield to all who look for Him for protection." His promises are even promises! They prove true and He is your shield when culture tries to mold you to be something else.

Abraham and Sarah are great examples. Even with a slip up and looking at the circumstance, in Hebrews the Word still says they "waited patiently." God is so full of grace for His children. I encourage you friends, to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently, for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7 or like The Message says, "Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top."

Let God calm you down with His loving words but be prayerful. Speak to Him. Share everything on your heart. Don't bother with culture or competitive people. Seek His presence and wait for His promises to prove true.

Imagine God bending down from His throne looking at you with a smile, the kind of smile where you can tell He is up to something really good, and saying...

"My ways are perfect and here's My promise for you...
[Insert Name Here] Do you believe Me?"