Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Joshua 21:45 (NIV)
Father God, I confess today that many times I struggle with connecting the dots between Your promises and the answers You provide. My dull mind often either misunderstands what You are promising or misreads the manifestation of Your answers. When I read the promises You made to Joshua (Joshua 1:3-5) and then see what happened to Judah (Joshua 15:63), Ephraim (Joshua 16:10), and Manasseh (Joshua 17:12-13), it is easy for me to question whether You fulfilled Your promises to them. After all, those three tribes could not dislodge the Canaanites. And Judges tells me that there was more (Judges 1:27-36)!
Yet, I see that the problem is with me and not with Your fulfillment. When I take a step back and look at what You have done, and see Your fingerprints guiding and directing, I cannot deny that You are working in the midst of it all. And when I then reflect upon my imperfections and the imperfections of those around me, I can see how my brokenness taints how I see everything, including knowing what You are actually promising. In truth, I either do not understand what You are actually promising or cannot rightfully read Your fulfillment. My brokenness prevents me from grasping its truth. No where is this more evident than in the incarnation of Your Son and my Savior. Like the Pharisees, I could have easily missed seeing Him as the yes and amen to Your promises had You not opened my eyes to see it.
So today, Father, as I hold fast to Your promises, continue to encourage my heart and keep me from wavering in my faith and trust in You. When doubt comes to my mind remind me of Your great and wonderful deeds in the past. Help me to keep in the forefront of my thinking that I am still a work in process, that I will misread what You are doing, and that I need You to show me how what I am experiencing now is in fulfillment of what You have promised me. I will trust in You with all of my heart and refuse to lean on my own understanding. Amen.