I remember as a child when the church of my youth had a special service to burn the mortgage papers for their new building. It was a recognition that a promise had been fulfilled. The building was redeemed, and all debts were repaid. All promises share that arc in some way. It begins with the creation of a pledge. There is the in-between time between promise and completion or fulfillment. And ultimately, the promise is fulfilled.
Psalm 89 was written in the middle of a similar arc when the fulfillment of the promise seemed impossible. I won’t reprint the whole psalm and invite you to read it. The basic structure of the psalm is praise for God, a recounting of His promise to Israel and David, recognition of God’s greatness and utter ability to fulfill the promise, a lament that the promise seems broken, and a prayer for the Lord to remember His promise.
God didn’t forget His promise, which the psalmist recounts, “The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah” (Psalm 89:3–4, CSB) This promise about David was fulfilled by Jesus, who was born in the lineage of King David and whose kingdom has no end.
Today, however, I want to dwell a bit on that time between the promise and the redemption of that promise. We often find ourselves there—a beautiful promise on the one hand and bleak reality on the other hand. Perhaps we can list all the ways the promise is in tatters like the psalmist did in verses 38-45. We may ask the same question, “How long, Lord? Will you hide forever? Will your anger keep burning like fire? Remember how short my life is. Have you created everyone for nothing?” (Psalm 89:46–47, CSB) We want it now, yet, in His sovereignty, God says, “not yet.”
Peter reminds us, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, CSB) There are many people recounted in the Bible who did not see the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetime. And yet, the promises were kept. The land promised to Abraham became the Hebrew homeland. The many promises of a Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Even in Revelation, the martyrs around God’s throne cry, “How long.” “They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.” (Revelation 6:10–11, CSB) Fulfillment of their cry came (will come) shortly afterward.
You may be in a time between promise and fulfillment right now. God has promised something to you. God’s timing is not our timing. It is good, like the Psalmist does, to recount the promise, recognize the difficulties, and trustingly ask God how much longer.
Remember. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:8–11, CSB) God’s promises are sure. Rest in that.
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