Greet the Blessing That Is Coming
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth. — Job 19:25
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. — Hebrews 11:13
Author
Dr. Roberto Miranda
Summary: God does not always give us what we need immediately, because he wants us to develop a faith that confesses his promises and waits patiently. Even though we may still see the blessing from afar, we can believe in it, greet it, and speak of it as a coming reality. In the midst of trials, when circumstances, emotions, and even our own bodies tempt us to doubt, we must respond with defiant faith: our Redeemer lives, God is good, he remains faithful, and he will fulfill what he has promised. Let us remember how he brought us out of the pit before, keep our eyes fixed on him, and firmly confess that he will lead us to victory.
If God gave us everything immediately whenever we needed it, where would faith be? Where would hope be? God wants us to develop faith by confessing his promises and waiting patiently for them.
I love the passage in Hebrews 11:13: “These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but seeing it from afar and believing it, and greeting it, and confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth...”
I like that part about ‘seeing it from afar’ and ‘believing it and greeting it.’ That is what we do with God’s promises; many times we see them from afar and visualize them, like the child who stares intensely at those sweets through the store window and puts his hand up as though he wanted to eat one, but there is a pane of glass keeping him from it.
And that is how we look at God’s promises, but we have to see them as though they were already a reality. You do not greet anything unless you believe it can interact with you, do you? We believe so strongly in God’s promises that we greet them. Glory to the Lord.
And it happens that, in the midst of the trial, when the devil is telling us, “Look, curse God and die. He told you he was going to give you this or that, and he did not give it to you,” we respond like Job: “No, I know that my Redeemer lives.” Hallelujah! And we confess and greet the coming blessing. And we say by faith, “I know that God is going to get me out of this trouble. God is going to bring me out of my trial and my storm. He promised that I would reach the other shore, and I shall reach it in the name of Jesus. For I have my Helper, and although I do not see him, I know that he is there, and I sense him with my spirit and confess it.”
Many times when we are going through a trial, nothing in this world suggests to us that God is truly faithful. At those times, we have to arm ourselves with a defiant faith, declare the blessing we know is to come, and confess it positively with our mouths as though it were already a reality.
One of the things that helps us when we are going through times of crisis is to declare by faith even what we do not believe; indeed, many times, to confess what we do not feel. And although everything is telling us—our biology is telling us: “Doubt God; stop praising him because he has not given you anything you hoped for”—we declare, “No, I know that my God is good, my God is faithful, my God fulfills what he promises. My God brought me out of the pit once, and he will do it again.” Hallelujah!
And one remains faithful in that stance. The Lord always fulfills what he promises. “None who trust in him will be put to shame.” The word of the Lord says, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread.”
The Lord will never disappoint you if you remain steadfast in his ways and confess that he is good. Keep your eyes fixed on the Lord. Believe, look from afar, and greet what God has promised you, and you will be able to attain victory.