When God gives you a dream or promise, there is often a delay. Many people give up on their dream or promise when they face delay or opposition. Often when that happens, the promise becomes buried under discouragement, rejection, negative comments, or failure.
What God has promised may seem to be lost, but the good news is that everything that He has promised is still alive.
Paul’s enemies in Corinth attacked his character as unreliable, ambiguous, and uncertain. On one side, Paul preached a positive faith. On the other, he was challenged and was weak in the flesh. He spoke of the power of the Gospel of Christ and was afflicted and challenged on every side. Throughout his trials and afflictions, Paul did not vacillate or waver in his faith. At the heart of everything he said was the person and work of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
Paul was telling believers that all of God’s promises are guaranteed and confirmed. Everything God has promised will come to pass. In Christ, we have a “yes” and an “amen.”
What God has promised finds fulfillment and confirmation in Christ. Jesus is the certification that what God promises will happen.
Whenever God gives a promise, dream, or vision, it will happen. In verse 19 he said, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you …was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.” What does that mean? All of the promises of God have been secured and made certain for us in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the guarantee.
2 Corinthians 1:20 AMP For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.
We are considering the unsearchable riches of Christ. In Christ Jesus we have the guarantee of all of God’s promises. Your faith and hope must be certain and steadfast in this.
Consider God’s faithfulness to His promises.
Joshua 21:45 NKJV Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
The Apostle Paul spoke about Abraham’s faith in God’s promise.
Romans 4:20-21 NKJV He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform
Solomon considered the faithfulness of God’s promise.
2 Chronicles 6:15 NKJV You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
God is faithful. Consider what the Book of Corinthians was saying. All of God’s promises find their “yes” in Christ.
Hold fast to the promises of God.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Since God is faithful, we should seize and hold fast without wavering what God has promised. You can do this because God is reliable and faithful to His word.
Does delay mean that God is not faithful? The delay and test of your faith does not mean that God will fail. Everyone’s faith is challenged by delays. Throughout the ages, this has been man’s challenge. David had this struggle, but he knew that the Lord was his help and shield. He said he put his faith and trust in God.
Psalm 13:1-6 NKJV How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Most of us know what it is like to wait on the Lord without a sign of an answer. You need to hear this word from God’s word.
1 Kings 8:56 NKJV “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
Joshua 21:45 NKJV Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
“Everything God promised came to pass.” Do you believe that God is faithful to His promises?
Have you noticed that during the delay or the wait, the enemy torments you about God’s faithfulness? He wants you to question, doubt and fall into despair.
While you are waiting, you need to keep your faith up. That is the time your confession of faith must be strong. Constantly remind yourself of God’s promise and His faithfulness. Refuse to yield to despair and hopelessness. Everything God said will come to pass.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
All of the promises of God, no matter how many they are, find their fulfillment in Christ.
What can you have through Christ? Everything God has promised finds fulfillment in Christ. You can have what God has promised. In Christ, we can appropriate and take possession of every promise of God.
Joel 2:25-27 NKJV So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
Remember the dream, vision, or promise that God has given you! Have you been through a delay? Has your faith been challenged? Have you given up on that dream, vision or promise of God? God is faithful. Keep holding on to that dream, vision, or promise of God. Don’t allow delay to destroy your faith and trust in God.
1 Peter 1:3-9 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Keep holding on! God is faithful.
Look at that phrase — “receiving the end of your faith…” There is a positive outcome for trusting God through all of the difficulties of life, trials and delays. This phrase has at least two specific areas of full blessing. There is an end of our faith when we come into the reward of God’s promise. There is the reward we will receive when our salvation is completed. We receive a daily reward for following Jesus Christ. In the daily reward and the eternal reward, we experience the full reward of Christ’s salvation.
“The salvation of your souls” refers to all of the benefits that we gain through the Lord Jesus Christ. The benefits of the Lord’s salvation covers all of our need. The word “receiving” refers to what has been promised. “Receiving” the “end” is the goal, the culmination of your faith, the reward, the end of your faith…
James 5:11 NKJV Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Through Job’s trial, we can see the blessing of endurance and faith in God. You need to remember that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Throughout the test, Satan continued to challenge Job’s faith and trust in God. In the end, God richly blessed him and showed Job full pity, compassion, tenderness, and mercy.
2 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV But as God is faithful…
Psalm 37:5 NKJV Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Every promise of God receives a “yes” and an “amen” in Christ Jesus.
