Do Not Put a Question Mark Where God Put a Period

I was spending some time with some very dear friends of mine and we were looking at a project.  It is a project that is the epitamy of what we had been talking about for a long time.  Something that when I first was contacted, my heart leaped inside me and it only grew stonger as I prayed about getting involved.  Then I shared it with my friends and their eyes lit up with excitement and wonderment of God.

God woke up one of us in the night and said that HE was doing this and to walk it out.  We sit around in meetings talking about how obvious God was showing us His will.  It was like God had orchestrated our two groups meeting like a conductor of an orchaestra.  Each player doing their part and not breaking ranks.  We all could not get over how this was what we had been praying for.

But then something happened.  It was something that tends to happen to the strongest of us.  Doubt crept in.  Instead of throwing it out, we looked at it…thought about…talked about it.  Then it spun out of control.  We went back and forth.  One grasping to what God had showed us, as another questioned it.  Nothing evil…mind you.  But not what we got together to talk about that day.

It reminded me of something that my father said to me once.  My marriage was “on the rocks” and I was really having a tough day.  I had went over to mom and dad’s house to talk (gripe is more like it).  As I sit there going on and on about how Alicia was doing this or doing that, my Dad sit quietly.  Again, he was always an amazing listener.  So was Mom.

I finally stopped complaining and I could tell Dad was ready to say something.  “Son, I am so sorry that you two are in a rough patch.  It happens to everyone so do not let the enemy tell you that it only happens to you, ” he started.  “It is in these times that you cannot let this get bigger than what it already is.  I hear a lot of doubt about your marriage.  I hear you wondering why you married Alicia.  It is as if you are almost convinced that you should not have married her.”

Dad paused as he really pondered on his next words. “Matt, do you remember the day when you came to me to say that you were going to ask Alicia to marry you? ” “Yes,” I replied.  “Son, when you told me that I asked you why.  Why did you think you were suppose to marry Alicia.  Why is she THE ONE?  Do you remember talking about that?”

I shot back kinda upset, “Yes, Dad.  I remember.  But…” Dad interrupted my tirade I was about to go on, ” What did you tell me, Matt?”.  I sit there for five minutes of silence as I just closed my eyes.  Mom and Dad just sit there, saying nothing.  “I said that I had been praying a lot about it.  That God showed me her as HE saw her.  That  God told me that she was the one HE chose for me.”  I started to cry.  “That she would be hand in hand with me as we go through this life together.”

Dad smiled and came over to sit by me.  He put his big arm around my shoulder and softly said, “Matt, your Mom and I love you so much.  You have grown up into a man that we are very proud of.  You have walked with the Lord and we have seen you grow in your relationship with HIM.  I think that it is in tough times that you need to be reminded of what God said to you.  No matter what.  You cannot let circumstances dictate your thoughts, your emotions, your marriage.”

He then said something to me that I have never forgotten to this day.  In fact, it dominated my thoughts through the night last night and this morning.  “Matt, do not put a question mark where God put a period.  If HE said it, that is it, done.  Take it to the bank.  It is His will.  He does not change.  Do not put doubt where HE put faith.”

Wow.  It reminded me of what Jesus said to his disciples when they saw him wither the fig tree (Matt. 21:21-22) out of the Message Bible:

^21-22But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”