God: Somewhere along the way, you learned that promises have an expiration date.
That a promise is like fruit: it’s there and delicious, but if you leave it too long, or if you don’t get to it in time, it’ll rot.
Do I know how to give good gifts?
Joshua: …Yes. You don’t give us a stone when we ask for bread.
God: Okay. This fear-based mentality is not Biblical. I choose the time. I know the season. If I tell you to take something, and you don’t, it’s true you may miss the opportunity. But if I delay it, I am not making it worse.
Do you remember the first time delayed gratification destroyed all gratification?
Joshua: …I think I remember something where I was a little kid, and ice cream was promised, and then by the time we got to it, it was all melted. But I’m not sure if I’m making that up.
I mean, that’s not an implausible story, I just don’t want to make something up.
We did often compete over desserts in my house growing up. So I made sure to have a little dessert as often as possible, or I might miss it. We had a lot of dessert though, so I mean… it’s not like I was without.
God: Joshua, I am not asking if your understanding was mature. If it had been, we wouldn’t be working through a lie now.
So you remember wanting something, and it being gone later?
Joshua: (I nod) Yes. It’s not… it’s not something where like, I had no dessert though.
(I sense God lean in)
God: There we are. The adjacent lie. “What I care about isn’t a big deal, because I have substitutes”. Okay—let’s apply that to me. Should I not care about who comes to me, because other people are coming to me? Should I disregard those who I don’t have a personal relationship with, because I have a personal relationship with others?
Joshua: Far be it from me to tell you what to want!
(I sense God raising an eyebrow—not rudely, but with a direct playfulness)
God: Joshua, do you realize how hypocritical what you are saying is?
Joshua: …No. How is this hypocritical?
God: (clears his throat) You say “I should care what God cares about”. Then you say, “I am not qualified to define what God cares about”. (tilts his head) So which is it?
Joshua: (I feel a bit sheepish) …I don’t want to answer, cause I know I’m wrong now.
God: Joshua, let me outline three key lies here:
- You are not allowed to want while you have good. If that were true, I should have not have wanted the Gentiles when I had the Jews. Yet I want the whole world to come to me. I do good for you, while I make additional promises. Anticipation for the promise doesn’t mean you are ungrateful—it just means you also anticipate what is coming!
- If you have an alternative, you should not want. It was not wrong of the children of Israel to want quail, it was wrong of them to complain. Do you realize that I love to give good gifts? The Israelites complained in the wilderness—that was the problem. Complaining was the problem, not wanting. Trust me if I tell you “stick with this, we are not getting an alternative”. But unspoken needs are not the solution to complaining, gratitude is. A sincere, grateful heart, will often receive more. Because a sincere, grateful heart has often received well, and I know will steward more well.
- Asking while you have is rude. Excuse me? “How much more”. My gratitude doesn’t have a limit. I do not say “I am tired of giving to a gracious, grateful child”. I am not a miser. It is more offensive not to ask, when the king offers a gift of your choice, than to say “no Lord, I may not”.
Now, back to the first one: that initial lie.
“Promises rot”. Am I the God of resurrection life? Or am I the God of atrophy?
If I am merely the God of atrophy, you would atrophy. But you resurrect. If I am capable of resurrecting you, do you think I am not capable of keeping a promise?
It is good that you care so much about the promise. I care about it even more. If I tell you to move, I know you will. But I am not going to trick you—I am not going to sabotage your purpose, throw my arms up, and say “you should have known”.
Your promise isn’t getting stolen. If it were, I would demand back seven times. I do better.
Do not worry. The promise will not come in a worse form. I will look out for it. You will see it. I will look out for it until then.