Rewriting Your Story: Discovering Yourself Through God’s Grace in Ordinary Time
Day 17: Trusting the Promises Behind the Pain
Theme: Identifying Relationship Triggers and Responses
📖 Scripture Readings:
Genesis 15:1–12, 17–18 – “Look up at the sky and count the stars... so shall your descendants be.”
Psalm 105 – “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
Matthew 7:15–20 – “By their fruits you will know them.”
Reflection:
God’s promise to Abram is both breathtaking and difficult: descendants as numerous as the stars, even while Abram remains childless. In this intimate conversation, Abram voices his doubt honestly—“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless?” This moment is deeply human and deeply relatable: How many times do we question the goodness of God’s promises when we feel empty or overlooked?
In our relationships, similar moments of doubt and longing can trigger emotional responses: defensiveness, comparison, or mistrust. Sometimes we feel unseen or forgotten when someone else seems to be “bearing fruit” while we are still waiting. But God's invitation is not to pretend these feelings away—it’s to sit with them, to voice them, and to stay in covenant with Him through them.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that what is true and trustworthy is revealed by the fruit it bears. We can identify people—not just by their words or titles—but by what they produce in the lives around them. Do they bring peace or division? Humility or pride? Safety or confusion? When triggered by relational wounds or manipulation, these spiritual fruits (or their absence) become crucial guides.
God does not condemn Abram for his questions. He meets them with reassurance and a vision: “Look up at the sky…” Today, God may be asking you to look beyond your current reality, to trust in a promise you do not yet see fulfilled—and to evaluate your relationships not by appearances, but by the fruit they bear.
Action/Practice:
Think of a relationship in your life that causes confusion or inconsistency. Ask yourself: What fruit is this connection bearing? Then reflect on whether it aligns with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Journal Prompt:
What am I still waiting for God to fulfill? How can I hold space for that longing without growing bitter in my relationships?
Daily Goal:
Speak honestly with God today about any unfulfilled desires or relational pain. Ask for the grace to trust Him in the waiting—and for the wisdom to discern good fruit in your interactions.