Half-Baked Promises

Have you ever taken a cake out of the oven before it is fully baked? Although it looks done on the outside, the moment you sink the toothpick into the center it comes out covered in goo. This is a picture of what happens when we attempt to cash in God’s promises before his timing. We end up with a gooey mess. In fact, when we do things our way because we become restless, we will always have to endure the consequences of acting outside of God’s will.

Last spring, I kept hearing the words “patient endurance” and “just wait.” These were the resounding themes God was speaking over my life. All around me- I witnessed other people thriving and receiving everything their heart desired. But to me- God told me to wait. And he kept saying it- and saying it- and singing in- and branding it on my soul. As I am sure you can imagine, I received that message loud and clear. He didn’t give me a yes or no response. He gave me a “not yet.” Of course, this “not yet” meant “one day” would come- just “not yet.” In fact, my hope was rooted in holding steady to the promises of God. I knew the promises he had spoken to me, but the time had not come for them to fruition. At first I was at peace with it, but then the anticipation and the waiting was killing me. And my mind began to wander and wonder, what would happen if I unlocked God’s promises before their time.

In that moment, God gave me a visual of a cake. Cakes bake at a specific temperature under certain conditions and need a quantified amount of time to bake to perfection. Cakes also need time to rise. If a cake is pulled out of the oven too quickly, what happens? The cake will collapse! This is a picture of God’s promises.

If he has promised something, he will do it. It is in his character- his innate nature. He cannot NOT keep his promises. He is unchanging. Malachi 3:6, “I the Lord do not change!” It simply isn’t possible. So, if he has done it before, then rest assured, he will do it again. He has not forgotten you! He simply wants what is best, not good or good enough- but the very best, in his timing! Our timing will create a cake that does not rise or falls under intense pressure. His timing produces a beautiful masterpiece- a perfectly golden cake, full baked- without blemish.

But first, faith! Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God always finishes what he started- so it is not a matter of IF he is going to fulfill that promise. It is a matter of WHEN. So the faith in the promise carries us through. I introduced my faith equation on a previous post, but I believe it is important we cover it once again.

Faith = promise + endurance

There is no greater example of this than Hebrews 11. Verse after verse we see evidence of the ancients being commended for their faith. Through their faith, they received what they were promised.

However, you cannot have faith without a process of waiting. Let me say that again. Proving faith is sure requires a waiting period. For faith is proved in the unseen, not in the seen. Hebrews 11:1-2, “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for.”

The Bible is filled with examples of unbaked and half-baked cakes. These individuals attempted to take their fate into their own hands, and what happened? Every single time they failed- miserably. Their failures produced ripples that not only affected them but every single person around them. These failed plans Bs created destruction and produced ripples that can still be evidenced today.

Although the current wait and anticipation may be agony, I want my cake to be fully baked when I take it out of the oven. I want to wait for his best- not what I deem best. My hope will be anchored by holding steady to God’s promises. And in faith, I will cling confidently to the unseen until the day when my cake is fully baked.