Pursuing the Promise (Part 1) 

When I was small I loved to go fishing.  Every year while the snow was still on the ground, I would be out in the garage preparing the fishing gear.  I’d practice casting my pole, change the string, put new hooks on, reorganize the tackle box and see what supplies I needed. Of course, that would lead to going to the store, buying hooks, sinkers, lures and all sorts of other things which were needed (and much that wasn’t really needed) so that all was prepared and ready for that first day when the weather would break and I could finally convince my dad to take me out. Preparation was fun and exciting and stirred up expectancy of what was coming next, but without pursuing my father and actually going fishing, the preparation meant very little.  There’s preparation, and then there’s pursuit!  Over the past several weeks, we have talked about preparing for the promises of God, and hopefully, it too has stirred up expectancy.  But now it’s time to take things a step further as we pursue Father God to bring us into the promise for which we have been preparing. And if you are not quite sure what we are talking about, perhaps you had better back up a bit and start here http://fredgarcia.com/2011/09/24/preparing-for-the-promise%E2%80%A6part-1/    For the rest of you, however, let’s take some time to consider what it means to “pursue” the promises of God. 

PURSUING BIG “FISH”

Before we get too far in our pursuit let’s take a moment and reflect once again upon you are pursuing.  Why? Because what you are pursuing determines the direction of your pursuit. In fishing terms, if I want to catch a saltwater fish, I don’t head to a freshwater lake to try and catch one.  The nature of the promise determines the direction in which you need to begin walking.

So, what is God’s promise to you?  Now, consider this:

Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said^* to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?”  This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.  Philip answered Him, “Two hundred ^£denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”  John 6:5-7

Jesus had stated His intentions here, to feed the people.  His question to Phillip was simply, “Where do we get the food?”  Phillip’s response demonstrates quite well what our own typical response is when faced with the knowledge of God’s intentions, or rather His “promises” for us… “God, are you crazy?  This isn’t possible!” We tend to focus on our lack and call it being “practical”. We may have heard about the big and miraculous things which God has done in the past, but somehow, it’s irrelevant when applying God’s history of faithfulness to His intentions in our own lives.  In the process, far too often, His intentions are “filtered” through a combination of these thoughts and our personal “experience.” In the end, our view of His intentions becomes nothing more than a watered-down promise. However, if we continue to read further we find that there is another response:

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said^* to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”  John 6:8-9

Now at first glance you might say, “Ok, Andrew’s response isn’t much better,”… but look again.  It is true that both responses express doubt, but Andrew’s focuses on what is at hand and submits it to God even in the midst of his questioning.  As it turns out, it’s enough for Jesus to use.

So often we feel that we need to have it all figured out regarding the “how” God will do something if we are going to believe it.  We don’t. Jesus told us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, we can move mountains (Matt 17:20).  We are called to believe big without knowing the “how.” Knowing God’s intentions are enough. If God tells me He’s going to provide a spacious new mini-van for my family and I start praying and believing for an old beat up Yugo which requires me to stack the kids up three deep in the back seat, I need to repent.  When it comes to hearing and believing God’s promises for us we need to take His word to us at face value. We need to stop interpreting them by being “practical”, looking at our lack, and trying to outsmart God by telling Him what He can and cannot do. It’s true that we can get caught in “asking big” simply out of selfish motives, but we can also do so out of false humility and the fear of taking risks.  Remember, faith is spelled R-I-S-K. We cannot step into the fullness of His promises for us if we insist on changing or dumbing down His intentions. If He speaks it, He is able to do it.

Now that we are more certain of our direction, let’s take the next few weeks to examine what it means to pursue.  Stay tuned…