When circumstances appear hopeless, God keeps his promises.
I wonder if the words “I will make a great nation from your
family” mulled around in the back of his head as he headed out. You see at the
time, Abraham had no biological children as his wife Sarai (Sarah) was barren.
Yet he stepped out in faith and didn’t question God.
Fast forward a few years. I wonder if Abraham assumes God
will fulfill His promise of making a great nation from his family through his
slave Eliezer because he and Sarah are still childless. This story is told in
Genesis 15: 1-6 where the Lord appears to Abraham in a vision:
“Abram, don’t be afraid. I will defend
you, and I will give you a great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what can
you give me? I have no son, so my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything
I own after I die.” Abram said, “Look, you have given me no son, so a slave
born in my house will inherit everything I have.” Then the Lord spoke his word
to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will
inherit what you have.” Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the
sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will
be too many to count.” Abram believed the
Lord. And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right
with God. [emphasis mine]
God promises Abraham descendants too many to count but the
circumstances haven’t changed a bit…Abraham and Sarah are still advanced in
years and childless. Perhaps a few more years pass, I don’t know the Bible
doesn’t tell us…but Sarah decides to take matters into her own hands and gives
her slave girl, Hagar, to Abraham (Genesis 16:1-3). Although this was customary
in their day it still showed a lack of faith in God to do what He promised He
would do.
Have you ever taken matters into your own hands and gotten
ahead of God? You take a look at the circumstances that surround you and think “maybe
I should step in do…something.” I sure have and by taking action in my own
strength and timing shows a complete lack of faith and willingness to allow God
to work…in His.
God always keeps his promises…it may take a lot longer than
we would like, but He is faithful.
Lamentations 3:21 – 26 (GW)
“The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one
thing in mind: the Lord’s mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His
compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is
great. My soul can say, ‘The Lord is my lot in life. That is why I find hope in
him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from
him. “It is good to continue to hope and wait silently for the Lord to save us.”
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