A promise is a promise, not a hedge maze.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

I just completed a Website for a local church.

They're big on "declarations," little snippets of Scripture-based spoken words which are supposed to build and strengthen faith.

One of their declarations is "God richly supplies all my financial needs," based in principle on Philippians 4:19.

Today, the first Sunday since I completed the Website, I attended Sunday services.

Their weekly bulletin included the declarations, with a first-time caveat for the one I shared above:

"Remember: Faith is the evidence of things not seen"... Our evidence of things being true is not our circumstance, but God's promises."

SO:

1). God's promises require no manifestation in the physical, and without that manifestation, or reluctance to believe is equal to a disbelief in God

2). My landlord, who prefers that I pay the rent with a check, should accept God's promises if God doesn't "richly supply all my financial needs" by the first of the month.

I'm a Christian...a "believer"...but this stuff makes my head explode. I got up in the middle of today's services and drove to my own church.

I don't think I'll ever be the kind of Christian who praises God for something He hasn't done.

If the first of the month comes and I am begging and pleading and bargaining with my landlord because I can't pay my rent, I cannot praise God for "richly supplying all my financial needs."

Because my landlord doesn't care about God's promises. He cares about a check in the mail that lands in his mailbox on the 1st.

And God knows that. The whole "God can intervene at any time if he chooses to" mindset simply leaves a way out for the self-righteous to say that He didn't intervene because of my sin, my unforgiving spirit, my slothfulness, my whatever.

On Friday, when I finished the church Website, my work day started at 3:00 AM and ended at 7:00 PM that night, so I'm gonna rule out "slothfulness."

He "could have," but didn't, because I got in his way. I failed, I sinned. I disappointed him.

HOW?

How, God...could you share that with me? Or should I look at the unmet need, the unfulfilled promise, and know that you can never be wrong, so it must be me, but you won't reveal it to me, so I'll praise you for something that didn't happen instead?

Sometimes the comfort of God's promises, in my life, is like the comfort Jack Nicholson felt in "The Shining," running through that snow-covered hedge maze at the end of "The Shining," totally over the edge, dying frozen and broken and alone.

Sometimes. Not all the time, just on days like today.

[Critters2]

1. I think you asked and answered your question just fine.

Well done!

[Kajsa]

2. Great post,Amerigo Vespucci.

There is a lot to be said for taking
the first step ( in solving our problems)
and taking direction.
This includes writing the rent check and having
the funds to cover it- easier said than done, sometimes.

Faith without works is dead- I live by this
and it works for me.
It means I pray for guidance and take the next indicated
step to take care of business.

Just my two cents here.