The Child of Promise: Part One

 Over the past few weeks I have faced many challenges in my life.  I have been put in a position of having to trust God despite of how the circumstances appear to be.  A repeated theme has been brought in my devotions over this last couple of weeks.  What started as a reflection on the promises that God has given me in my life has now turned into a running series on the theme of God's promises.

Scripture:

            “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”

—Romans 4:20-21

Observations:

            When we look at the life of Abraham we see a man who believed in God’s promise but did not know how to see that promised realized.  God promised Abraham son and that he would be the father of many nations.  Abraham went about trying to make this promise a reality by bearing a child with his wife’s maidservant named Ishmael.  Ishmael was the child of fleshly efforts to conceive and prove good God’s promise and led to great heartbreak and agony for Abraham.  But in due time God provided Abraham with the child of promise named Isaac.  There was nothing that Abraham could do to bring forth this child of promise but trust that God was going to be faithful to his word.

Application:

            Sometimes we try to rush the promises of God by our own efforts and find ourselves with an Ishmael of a situation.  If God has promised something in your life you must be patient for He is faithful to do it.  I know in my life that God has made certain promises and because of this I have tried to by my own efforts see these promises realized.  But I must be patient and allow God to fulfill the promises his way and on his time.  Oh how difficult is the task of believing God.  “God I do believe, help my unbelief” has become a steady prayer of mine over this last while.  But I know that when the timing is right God will give me my Isaac, my child of promise.

Prayer:

            Lord, I do believe that you will fulfill your promises in my life.  Help to me to have the faith to be patient.  Guide me in what you would have me do to see these promises realized in my life.  I love you Lord and I thank you for all your blessings and corrections.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen…