Expecting God to come through? Trust and believe, He won't disappoint you!
Editor’s Note: This devotion was written by Dianna Hobbs and used by permission from her ‘Your Daily Cup of Inspiration’ blog. To read more encouragement like this, visit YourDailyCupOfInspiration.com.
When my oldest daughter Kyla was around seven years old, I promised to do something for her. But life got busy, and the deadline to fulfill my vow came and went. One day, she entered my bedroom looking upset.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked, concerned. That's when she reminded me of what I had previously told her I would do.
“I don’t like when people lie to me," she said, stewing. “You shouldn’t promise to do something if you’re not going to do it.”
I’ll admit that I was shocked by her strong reaction and honestly perceived it as an overreaction. Of course, I apologized after seeing the negative impact my forgetfulness had on Kyla and also attempted to make her understand human error.
“Sometimes, people say things and forget,” I explained. “That doesn’t mean they purposely deceived you. It just means that they’re human and can’t remember everything.
Despite my explanation and justification of my failure, Kyla insisted, “Promises should be kept. If you’re not going to do it, then don’t say it.”
In that moment, instead of trying to further justify my oversight, I said to her, “You know what? You’re right. Promises should be kept baby, and I’ll try to do better from here on out. Will you forgive Mommy?”
My apologetic stance seemed to appease her. We resolved the issue with a hug. My then seven-year-old, who is now 22, soon forgot about the offense, as children so easily do, and moved on. However, I never forgot that conversation or the deep disappointment I had caused. Come to think of it, I’m thankful for that experience. It was a real wake-up call that made me understand the profound impact our words and promises have on our children. That encounter has shaped my parenting and certainly made me a better promise-keeper.
And speaking of promise-keepers, aren’t you glad that God isn’t like human beings, forgetful and fallible? Isn’t it wonderful to know that you can rely on Him to keep His word and that there is no failure in Him at all?
“God does not lie. He is not forgetful. And He doesn’t fail. If He promised you something, He won’t disappoint. He will do it. Stand firm in faith!”
Numbers 23:19 fittingly says, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not a human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
In this Scripture, lie is a Hebrew word that can mean several things: to deceive, to fail, or even to disappoint. Now, I know that God will not always do what you want Him to do in the way that you want Him to do it. Yet and still, if He makes a promise, He is guaranteed to keep that promise according to His will and timing. In other words, you can rely on God to do what He said. In this regard, He never disappoints.
So then, if you are waiting on the Lord to fulfill His word in your life, this is good news for you! Our reference passage in Numbers 23:19 reminds us that when God speaks blessings over us, those blessings will manifest.
Let’s look for a moment at the greater context of this passage, shall we?
In Numbers 23, Balak, king of Moab, linked up with a man named Balaam who dwelled among the Midianites and was endowed with the gift of prophecy. Balak connected with Balaam in the hopes that Balaam would curse Israel for him. But this was a problem, because God had already pronounced blessings over the Israelites and promised to prosper them. Therefore, those promises could not be revoked despite Balak’s desires.
So, Balaam told the king in verse 20, “I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.”
Ah, I love that! And friend, that’s the message for you. It doesn’t matter what comes against you, God has already commanded blessings over your life, and nothing and no one can change that. No storm can change it. No adversity can change it. No sickness can change it. No setback can change it. No enemy can change it. Nothing can override, overturn, or overthrow the will, command, and decree of God.
The Lord has spoken good things over you, and they will come to pass. You will be fruitful. You will reap a harvest. You will see God’s mighty hand move in your favor and bring deliverance, healing, increase, and abundant blessings.
No matter what you see today, God will not fail you. He will not lie to you. He will not disappoint you. Keep believing. Keep expecting. Keep walking by faith and not by sight. Again, you will see what God said show up in your situation.
But here’s what you won’t see, according to Psalm 37:25 KJV, which is what I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration. It says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, rejoice, both for what you will see and what you won’t see. You will see God always remain faithful to you, but you won’t see Him forsake you. You will see God bless you, but you won’t see God fail you, because there is no failure in Him. You will see God come through for you, but you won’t see Him disappoint you, because whatever He said He will do, and whatever He promised, He will perform.
