Finding Your Turning Point
…the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own” (Romans 4:3 MSG).
Don’t you love the turning point? It’s that part of the story where the conflict is on it’s way to getting resolved, often resulting in a happy ending. It may not be over, but it’s so close you can taste it!
True love that was challenged gets its footing. The villain gets what was coming to him. Lives are better. Fortunes are gained or restored. Relationships are renewed. The fighting is over. The wars have been won. The challenges are completed. The tests are passed. The storm has settled.
Isn’t it interesting the turning point with God is different? I guess it shouldn’t. After all, He is above all and holy–that is to say, totally uncommon and altogether unlike anything or anyone else. He sees things differently, declares things differently, fulfills His plans differently.
He is the One who told us that to live we have to die and to save our lives we have to lose them. To enter His Kingdom, we must be born again and have the faith of a child. He uses the weak to lead the strong, and the foolish things of this world to shame the worldly wise. The first will be last and the last first, and the greatest among you, Jesus said, will be the one who serves everybody.
I guess we could have expected that His idea of a turning point would be different than ours, but it still hits you unexpectedly sometimes. God saw the turning point of Abraham’s story not in his having a son through Sarah and the joy that this brought, but instead in the exact moment when He believed the promise God made to Him.
That was the turning point.
It can’t possibly be that simple, right? It is. Although just because something is simple does not mean it will be easy.
It was the turning point because once Abraham believed, it was as good as done. In God’s economy, faith in His word is currency. This doesn’t make sense to our natural minds, but it’s nevertheless true. The promise doesn’t lie. It’s simply a gift that we receive.
We want to see then believe, but God calls us to believe then see. Not only is there difficulty in that, but the turning point comes before the conflict (or more of it) and doesn’t lead to resolution like we expect or think it will or in the time frame we think it will.
Imagine all that time. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. All the pregnancy tests come back negative. There’s no change in Sarah. Abraham isn’t getting stronger, but seemingly weaker. Still, “He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said” (Romans 4:20 MSG).
This pleased God to the point that He called Abraham His friend.
Once he had turned the corner of absolute trust, he found his strength in the promise (instead of changed circumstances). He didn’t care what his body felt like. His spirit was alive, refreshed, and renewed with faith. Were there days of struggle? I’m sure there were many. But he always came back to the promise.
Here’s your turning point! Come back to the excitement of what God has declared. Always return to the promise and trust in His ability to complete what He started.
Are you ready to plunge deeply today? Do you see this as a turning point? Are you encouraged that promises God gave you in the past are not forgotten, but just may soon be fulfilled?
A reworking of a post from 2010
Awesome post, Jason. We so underestimate the value of God’s currency. We value things that we can use our senses to grasp. The things of true value can’t be seen or touched, but they lead to miracles lived out in everyday lives of those who know and love our Father. All the riches in this world can’t begin to measure up to one act of grace from God. Numbers can’t calculate the majesty of God.
We trade momentary value for eternal value. Thank God He gives us the grace to learn the difference! Thanks so much, Floyd.
At times we ourselves can stop our harvest from coming, but never fear a delay is not denial, but growth.
So true. He is so patient and loving with us! Delays may come because of us, the enemy, or others; but no matter what, faith will prevail if we hold on! Thank you, Andrew.
I love that God changes us and not just our situations. How could we ever truly love and respect Him if He were simply a genie?
We must seek His face and not just His hand.
Lately I feel as if I’ve reached a turning point. Nothing in the circumstances has changed, YET.
What has changed and is changing is ME. I’m learning how good God is and to trust in His promises. God started something, He will finish it!
It’s not in my timing and that’s good. It’s in His perfect timing. Now I’m content. I’m at a turning point and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.
That’s so good, TC! When we change--when our perspective changes--we make such great progress. The best and most lasting change is always in beholding and responding to Him. Thanks TC.
My band and I are in that turning point now… we were kinda in a slump…we started recording a couple years ago and life just kinda happened and really didn’t stick to finishing it…
then my Dad had his stroke so it got me moving…
We released a Christmas EP which was our first release ever and it was great seeing a fininshed product so that was the turning point to finishing the full spanish worship project… we are almost done!!! and God has been starting to open doors for us!!!
He is sooooo GOOD!
God Bless Jason! Good Word today.
Arny recently posted..5 REASONS I HATE BEING MARRIED:
That’s awesome! Praying that more doors and opportunities will open to you guys. May the grace and anointing upon you increase exponentially! Thanks Arny.
“God saw the turning point of Abraham’s story not in his having a son through Sarah and the joy that this brought, but instead in the exact moment when He believed the promise God made to Him.”
Wow. This is it. We rejoice in the outcome, He rejoices when we believe Him with our whole heart.
Such great truth, thank you for sharing it.
Connie recently posted..Books of 2012
This is a truth I have returned to over and over. I think it’s one of those revelations that just has to be renewed from time to time, but it gets deeper as we do. Thank you, Connie.