Teaching in the Tension
Nowhere in the Bible is there a victory without tension first. God does His best work out of a season of tension. Maybe that’s you right now, feeling the tension. Well, my friend, God is teaching in the tension. Faith is actually built in the tension. Faith is like a muscle and just like a physical muscle, it grows after repeated tension. The more tension - the stronger the muscle gets. The same goes for our spiritual muscles!
What is tension - the act or action of stretching, inner striving (Webster Dictionary).
Tension is the space between the vision God has placed in you and seeing the promise. Tension is waiting for your breakthrough. Tension is the disappointment of a closed door, a heartbreak from a trauma or lost relationship, the frustration of not seeing your miracle.
We can study anyone used by God in the Bible and find that they walked through some tension before their breakthrough. Today, we will take a deeper look at Abraham's life. I encourage you to read Genesis 12, 15-18,21 for deeper study and context.
In Genesis 12, Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations - He would be the Ancestor of God's people. In Genesis 15 God promises Abraham not just a son but reminds him that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. Abraham was given a vision of His calling, but he lived in the tension of not seeing the promise. In Genesis 16 Abraham allows his flesh to compromise the promise. Sarai, his wife who was barren and old age, tells Abram to conceive a child with their maid, Hagar, to which Ishmael was born.
Tension Reveals What’s in Your Tank - Ishamael was a flesh response to force the promise. Abram’s flesh forced the breakthrough because he grew impatient in the waiting. Abraham’s tank got bumped and when tension increased, he chose his flesh to respond rather than his faith to respond. What’s in your tank? When you get bumped, what is coming out of you... Is it faith or flesh? To ensure that we keep our tanks filled up in faith we must fill up our tank with fresh oil. Oil symbolizes the anointing from the Holy Spirit. The anointing brings strength where we are weary. It brings supernatural joy and peace beyond understanding. The anointing brings wisdom to discern a situation from God’s point of view. Staying in the flow of the anointing keeps us on course to God’s promises. Receive fresh oil by staying in God’s word, seeking Him above all else, carving out time to be in His presence, and staying connected to the local church.
In Genesis 21 The promised son of Abraham and Sarah is born - this was years past when God first told Abraham of the promise. Although Abraham’s flesh may have failed initially, God in all his mercy, taught Abraham how to stay faithful in the tension to receive his promise.
Tension Tests Your Faithfulness - How are you stewarding the in-between? Are you going to be faithful even when you don’t see it? Despite the long waiting, Abraham made it up his mind that he would be faithful and committed to being obedient to God’s word. He chose to be faithful with the seemingly nothing and because of that, he got his desire of a son. Let me remind you that God’s timing is outside our context of timing. However long ago God gave you a promise, a desire, a vision in your heart, don’t let the grief of not seeing it rob you from obtaining it. God wants our full trust in Him to provide the promise in his timing and it will be way better than what we can force happening in our own strength. Don’t get weary in the waiting, for if we do not give up we will see a harvest!
Sister, If you are feeling the tension, you are in good company, God is working something great out of you. Refill your tank with fresh faith, be faithful with what you already have, and keep growing in the tension, your miracle is on the way!
Cheering You On,
Kourtney