My promise of “Yes and Amen”
I can’t believe it is going to be over a year that I had been meaning to share about this. It’s been a while since I wrote last, but lately this promise has been really on my mind, you’ll find out later. I am continually amazed at how God sometimes gives us a glimpse of something and we don’t even realized it in those moments.
It happened in the last days I was in Israel when my sabbatical was coming to an end. I went again to the Christian cemetery for the last time. When I got there I was met by a few people I had got to know in the last few months. We were heading over to start our prayer meeting when one of them stopped me and
said, “The answer is Yes and Amen, God says ‘Yes and Amen'”. I smiled and said thank you, but inwardly I was thinking, the answer to what? I had learned that sometimes God gives you tidbits of what is ahead and so I kept it in my heart. Fast forward almost 4 years, I was praying during my devotional and the song Yes and amen starts playing and when it gets to the chorus, I was reminded of that incident years back. That’s when it hit me. That morning I had an appointment at the family court regarding the adoption of my kids. And sort of a date (Friends tried to set me up). I’ll save you the angst, the guy didn’t pursue me so nothing came of it. It only made me realize how much I miss going out with friends.
Anyway, back to this promise. As I was reminded of God saying “Yes and amen” I realized what he meant. Of course, I kept it with open hands, because we can sometimes misinterpret God’s meaning. One of the biggest things that pushed me over the edge when I was struggling to accept my broken heart and the
loss of all that I thought I wanted was that I felt like God was saying No to everything I ever dreamed of. And that morning I began to realize that He was actually saying Yes and Amen. I continued my devotional by reading the Bible and as it turned out, the story of when Saul was chosen to be king was next on my reading plan (1 Samuel 9). As I read the following stood out to me (bold & italics mine for emphasis):
Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.” So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.
1 Samuel 9:23-24
What was to be Saul’s portion had already been put aside and saved for him and it was until he came that he was given his portion. As I meditated on this I felt in my spirit that what God had for me he had already set aside for me and was being kept for me. That morning God gave me the faith to know He had already set aside my kids for me…and being all ambitious I wanted to include a husband in that promise for that same day. In case you don’t get my newsletter, the interviews with the judge went well and the adoption was approved. Few months later the adoption was finalized.
A few months ago, I reconsidered putting myself out there in the dating world. I had not even tried since my last relationship, which by now has been 6/7 years, I’ve lost track LOL! Living in a small town and not being able to be involved at my home church, I thought it might be good to try online dating. Not sure if it’ll work out, but in the last couple of months I’ve really begun to have faith for a husband. After two months of being online, I was considering quitting. It does take a toll on you and golly do I already have too many emotional roller coasters, who needs more?! Still praying about this, but what keeps coming back to me is this promise, “Yes and amen”. Therefore, even though it seems so impossible to find someone who will be willing to lay his life for us to join us where we are, every morning I pray for my husband, wherever he might be and trusting that God will bring him into our lives at the appointed time.
I am so grateful for people like the one who shared what God told him to tell me. At the moment, I thought he might have gotten something off and maybe even thought he was crazy for in my mind I had not asked God for anything. Which is true, I had jumped straight to assuming He didn’t mean to give me those desires and dreams I had been hoping for. Despite that, I’m so grateful that in due time God reminds us of these little things and builds our faith for those moments when we most need it. Who would of thought I would be a mother to two kiddos in just 4 more years?! So friend, if God has given you a word, as crazy as it may sound don’t dismiss it, just wait. In due time, He’ll fulfill it.
