Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!" And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. [Gen 15:5-6 NLT]
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal. [Gen 16:1-2 NLT]
The LORD kept His word and did for Sarah exactly what He had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. [Gen 21:1-2 NLT]
This story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar is better than any drama on TV today. Promiscuity, betrayal, cat fights, it's got it all! But I love this story because it speaks of the resoluteness of God’s promises.
At some point after God gives His promise to Abraham, Sarah is frustrated that she can’t have kids and her servant, Hagar, can. So, she devised a plan. She had Hagar sleep with Abraham to birth a son for them. But once Hagar became pregnant, the Bible says that she began treating Sarah with contempt. Sarah reacted by treating Hagar harshly as well until Sarah finally gave birth to her own son, Isaac, then Sarah had Abraham send Hagar and her son into the desert to die.
You would think Abraham had told Sarah all about the promise God gave him, although, I haven’t found where Abraham actually told Sarah. Maybe her actions were one of a woman who had spent her entire life yearning to be a mother? Maybe not? One thing I do know, Abraham knew of God's promise and he believed. In fact, God counted him as righteous because of his faith. So what happened? Could so much time have gone by that Abraham wondered if God would come through? Could Abraham have thought, "Is this how God will fulfill the promise?"
Making it our job to fulfill God’s promises is never the right choice.
When we run ahead of God, doing things our own way, we often make things far more difficult than they were ever meant to be. Can you imagine how heartbroken Sarah felt watching her husband interact with this other woman and knowing she couldn’t have kids of her own? And can you imagine the position Abraham was in, caught between his barren wife and his wife's handmaiden.
Now, if you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, I already took matters into my own hands. I tried to make things work and instead, I made a mess of things. What now?” There’s hope for you! God is not limited by your meddling. And though this isn't a license to meddle, remember that God will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
As we remain in Christ Jesus, the mistakes and messes we often get ourselves into do not negate the promises of God over our lives. If He spoke it He will perform it as we surrender to Him and allow Him to fulfill His promise.
God DID in fact fulfill His promise to Sarah and she had a son when Abraham was 100 years old and she was 99. What a miracle!! God’s Word goes forth and it accomplishes all He wants it to. It prospers everywhere He sends it. [Isaiah 55:10]
God's Word is full of promises that we can stand on. When our faith weakens and we don't see how things can work out, or when He’s not moving as fast as we think He should, it helps to speak His promises back to Him. This is how we build our faith and increase our patience, by reminding ourselves what He promised. Take some time today to read the promises found in His Word, remind yourself of some promises He has spoken over you and let your faith be increased!
Prayer
God, I thank You that when I remain in You, my mistakes and messes don't negate Your promise over my life. Thank You for making all things work together for my good. Help me patiently wait, full of faith, and to trust that You will do what you say. I remind myself today that Your Word is true and that it WILL accomplish everything you mean it to.
Let me hear from you! - Please comment below! I would love to hear a promise that you are standing on, or one you want to begin standing on.
