Wednesday, June 27, 2018

#WednesdayWisdom: From 'Yes' to 'Amen'

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God." - 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)

If you grew up in church, you've probably heard this scripture phrased as, "God's promises are yes and amen." The first time I heard this as a child, I, of course, asked, "What does that mean?" Adults explained to me that it simply meant that God will fulfill His promises for my life. It wasn't until adulthood that I realized the meaning of that phrase, when I added a ellipsis: God's promises are yes...and amen. This week's dose of #WednesdayWisdom sits on the ellipsis of almost but not quite.

Image source: The Praying Woman

Yes is an agreement. It's approval, affirmation, a sure and definite answer. If God promised you something, YES, it is guaranteed, YES, it will happen. Amen means "it is so." It's the verification of the God guarantee. When we give God our "yes" in exchange for His and seal it with "amen," we are proclaiming that the promises are fulfilled even before their fruition. This is where it gets complicated: Amen declares, "It is so!" but life's 'what ifs' often change that declaration to a question: So...it is?

Sometimes, we feel like there's a long distance between giving God our yes and seeing, grasping, a tangible "amen." We see the "big picture," the overarching purpose, but the problem is, we don't know how to get to the "amen" that seems just out of reach. So we hang on the ellipsis between yes and amen, lunging for it and reeling back empty handed. I've been in the lunging position for a long time, and honestly, I've worn myself out.

We spend so much time wondering how and when we'll see the "big picture" that we forget to look for beauty in the details. Constantly straining towards the amen tells God we don't trust Him enough to wait for Him to bring us to it, we'd rather skip the process and bring it to us. This word is for you and for me: Stop straining!

God doesn't need your help to fulfill His promises. He's God all by Himself, and He knows what you're purposed for. Instead of trying to figure it all out right now, live in the right now. Take it one day, one step at a time. Stand on the promise of the expected end, but don't focus so much on getting to the end that you miss what's in the middle. That's where the good stuff is. Even when you don't see it, it IS so! #WednesdayWisdom

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