Madison “ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Heb 10:23
Recently I was asked what I’ve learned from navigating promises that seem unfulfilled or delayed. God will never leave any promise unfulfilled, but He may fulfill them in ways that don’t always match up with my expectations. In a circumstance where an unmet expectation creates tension in my heart, He has taught me how to lay that expectation down as an offering to Him. Surrender. He will meet us there in loving-kindness every single time. Surrender draws His presence.
I found myself in this very place again through our recent miscarriage. When expectation didn’t match reality and the enemy came to steal, I chose to surrender my heart again to Jesus in the midst of pain. When the enemy expected to see me fall apart, he saw me press further into Jesus and draw on His strength. I stood on the truth that Christ meets every need of my heart in sufferings, and He is working all things together for our good. He redeems everything when we stay surrendered – even the intangibles of disappointment and grief.
When we lay our expectations down on the altar, it frees our hearts to receive the greatness of His redemptive plan for us. If you’re navigating a delayed promise or an unmet expectation, whether the Lord Himself has taken you on a different path from what you expected or the enemy has tried to come against your life with an unexpected circumstance, staying surrendered to Jesus with confident expectation of good is the way forward. Stay rooted in the truth that you know – He is always good and faithful. His plan is “…to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) If it isn’t good yet, you can be assured that He isn’t finished.
His promises are worth the wait, even if we encounter set backs that require a re-route. And it’s worth it, not just because of an outcome gained, but because of how you encounter Jesus in your waiting and who you become as a result.
*This photo is from my pregnancy with Samuel. A day is coming where we’ll have our second rainbow baby posing for their promise fulfilled photo – I can’t wait to share it with you.
