Better Thing
by: Emma Franklin
October 1, 2025
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired. ”
We tell God that His ways are better and that we trust Him, but do our lives prove it? How do we trust Him with the things we want most? What does it look like to have faith for something big without putting it first or ending up disappointed when it doesn’t come in our desired timing?
Abraham was 75 years old when God promised to make him a great nation and give him countless descendants. Ten years later, with no sign of the promise, Abraham took matters into his own hands leading to the birth of Ishmael. Out of His great love, God blessed Ishmael and promised to make him the father of a great nation, but made it clear that Ishmael was not the fulfillment of the promise. It would now be another 14 years until Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. Trying to take control never leads to the fulfillment of the promise, and we know that the conflict between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac is one that continues to this day. What leads to the promise is faith in who God is and what He has spoken.
“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!” … He never stopped believing God’s promise, for he was made strong in his faith to father a child. And because he was mighty in faith and convinced that God had all the power needed to fulfill his promises, Abraham glorified God” (TPT, Romans 4:18, 20-21).
Right before God gave this promise to Abraham, God told him “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (NKJV, Genesis 15:1). Could it be that at some point Abraham prioritized the promise of descendants over the promise of God Himself? I wonder how the story would have gone if Abraham stood on the words of the promise by faith and lived from the place where he had all that he needed in God.
Did Abraham understand that this promise was about so much more than himself? God needed the fulfillment of this promise because from generations down the line came our promised savior, Jesus! In our own lives, do we see how the promises we’re waiting for are not just about us? Our promises are about advancing the kingdom of heaven and accomplishing the will of the Father on earth. Can you believe that God wants to see our promises fulfilled more than we do?
When we live knowing who God is, we then know who we are: sons and daughters of the most high God. We are coheirs with Jesus Christ and we share in His inheritance. This changes everything! When God promises us something, it is His delight to bring its fulfillment. We don’t live from a place of lack. We live knowing that when our hearts are yielded to the Holy Spirit, we will have what we ask for. And while we wait, we fix our eyes on the One we want (and need) most. Believe it or not, it is the Lord’s love that keeps us from something so that we can walk in His best!
We all have dreams and promises that we’re waiting for. Do you trust that what He has for you is exceedingly and abundantly more? When we walk in agreement with what He has promised, the fulfillment is always more than we could ask or imagine.
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired” (AMPC, Isaiah 40:31).
Prayer
Jesus, I love You. More than any promise, I want You! You are my exceedingly great reward, my treasure, and my prize. It’s through loving You that I’m led to the fulfillment of my promises. Forgive me if I’ve let anything else take the throne of my heart; I give it back to You. Remind me how big You are. Remind me the purpose of my promises. My desire is that every blessing advances Your kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven. Give me heaven’s perspective, and teach me to live from heaven to earth. Amen!
Worship: God of Wonders
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Do you ever have trouble keeping your mind focused on Jesus during your quiet time? Thinking about this issue reminded me of trying to teach my dog to “stay!” That’s one of the hardest commands for a dog to learn because they don’t want to stay still. There’s too many things going on, or going by, like a squirrel, or another dog, or a car, to name a few.