Don't Let The Birds Settle In!

In Genesis Chapter 15, Abraham receives a promise from God. 
I've received promises from God.  We all have.
He promises never to leave us or forsake us, (Deut 31:6). 
He promises to keep us in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on Him because we trust Him, (ISA 26:3).
He promises to renew our mind, (ROM 12:2).
He promises to give us wisdom!! (James 1:5-8)

There are His promises all throughout His word, calling us to comfort, faith, courage, and endurance.
But the promise I'm talking about is a personal promise.  Like the one God gives to Abraham.

"Abraham?" the Lord said.

"LORD?" Abraham answered.

"I'm going to make you have descendents more numerable than the stars in the sky."

"Wow.  That's really specifically huge, LORD."

"Yes.  And you're going to have all this land, too."

"What land?" Abraham asked.

"All of it.  All the land.  Look around.  That's it.  That's all the land."

".....????"

"I know.  Because I'm God."

And then, how does Abraham respond to this amazing, life changing, beyond comprehensible blessing?  He asks what any rational mortal would ask. 
"How do I know what you're promising is real?"  Abraham wanted proof that God was really going to do this miraculous thing.  So The Lord tells him to prepare animals and cut them in two as a covenant.  So Abraham did it.
And then Abraham waited.
And waited.
And waited.
It was probably longer than he planned on waiting because the vultures started circling over the dead carcasses before finally landing on them.  Abraham had to shoo them away.  This was an all day ordeal.  Abraham, waiting in the land, without a single sign from the Lord that He was about to show up...all the while chasing vultures away.  Did he wonder if he had lost his ever-loving mind?  Bible doesn't give a hint of his doubt.

I can't help but think about these birds.  These birds that feed off flesh and plagued poor Abraham, without getting any help from God.  Not a whisper.  Not an angelic covering to prevent the birds from eating the sacrifice that God had asked Abraham to prepare.  Abraham had to do the chasing away on his own.  Without help or validation.  He had to trust the Lord would come through.

There are carrion birds in my life that want to steal the promises God has made.  It's like the parable of the sower and the seeds in Matt 13:3-4

 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them."

The enemy wants to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10)  He can come in at any time, if we aren't vigilant.  There is a trait in Abraham that is admirable.  He never rests on God's promise alone.  He is vigilant to keep the birds away from stealing it.  There's an action here that I have to take into consideration for my own life.  Spiritual laziness is not going to "fly" when I'm wanting to be completely surrendered to what the Lord wants for me.  This isn't a legalistic concept.  But there is, just as there has always been, a reward for endurance and obedience.
I love this.  As much as it challenges me, I need to hear it. There are promises the Lord has spoken to my heart.  Some are very specific.  Most I don't share. But I've seen some come to pass.  And there were birds hanging around overhead, constantly telling me to just give up and stop trying to be something I wasn't.  They told me to remember what I'd done years ago, that I'd never really be any different and I was doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again.

But then I'd  shoo those birds away with Romans 12:2.  And don't forget Phil 1:6. 

We can let life grind away at us.  The enemy would just love to steal those seeds, so to speak, and make us ineffective, average Christians.  But there's no such thing!  We shine with the Holy light of Jesus.  How can that be average?  And we are filled with His power and His spirit.  What is there we can't do?  What sin can have victory over us when it has lost all power at the cross?  We are already walking in victory.  All the enemy can do is try to poison our minds with thoughts of despair, discouragement, isolation, and frustration.  We have been called to such great heights, friends!

Let me ask you a personal question.  What has the Lord promised you?  What has He called you to?
It may not be His timing for the fulfillment of that promise yet. Abraham waited a long, long time.  But let's not let the vulgar birds of this world tear away at the covenant we are waiting on.  Is there something the Lord is waiting on you to let go of before He can fulfill His call?  For Abraham, he had a father that tarried with him and a nephew that loved the world.  Let go of whatever it is He's wanting to take.  Fear, doubt, bitterness, stuff...whatever it is, He's got better for you.

Is it simply a crucible of waiting, created to burn away the flesh that would stumble you had you managed a way around it?  Then chase away the birds that threaten to steal your joy and rejoice that the one who calls you is faithful and He will do it!  (1Thess 5:24)

There is always the temptation to take the handmaiden, Hagar to try and make God's promise happen, or to run to Egypt when there's a famine in the promised land.  But Abraham here, in this story, waited.  He kept the commandment to prepare the sacrifice, and waited.  It was brave, and difficult and the Lord calls us to no less when He calls us to follow Him.

He is the best storyteller.  And He has the very best story for you.  No matter who you are or what you've done.  So the question becomes, are you ready to take the journey with Him?  I can promise you, as C.S. Lewis said, it won't be safe, but it will be good.