The Timing of Promises
Good Morning! Welcome to Day Thirty-Six! Promises, promises. We can be afraid to trust in them. But when we understand the purpose behind God’s promises, we don’t place a time limit on them.
Bible Reading: Genesis 21-24
Verse of the day is: Genesis 21:1 “The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.”
Word of the day is: Promised. It is the Hebrew word: דָּבַר (daw-bar).
This word means: to speak, declare, command, promise.
Waiting On His Promises
After waiting 25 years, God fulfilled His promise to Sarah at just the right time. Do we trust God’s timing? Oh, it is hard when our plans are centered around the quickest answer. Especially when pain or hardship are involved. We just want God’s promises to equal pain-free, comfortable life without waiting, right?
Sometimes our understanding of God’s promises gets confused. Sarah tried to make God’s promise happen in her own timing and way and boy did that backfire. Sarah’s actions created a blended family with lots of drama, not to mention modern day enemies of God’s people today came from her decision to take matters into her own hands.
We can do the same thing, can’t we?
Thoughts On Waiting
- We think we should not have problems, but Jesus promised us problems (John 16:33).
- We think we should always be prosperous, but Paul, Peter, and a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us remind us that we will face trials in this life. Nonetheless, our souls can continually prosper as we get into God’s word, whether or not we are physically prospering.
- Just because God spoke a promise in the Bible to a specific people at a specific time does not mean we can claim that promise, too.
- God has promises that He makes throughout all of Scripture. Some are for all who believe. Some are for a specific time.
- Naming and claiming something does not hold God to a promise.
- Trusting Him to fulfill His promises and seeking to understand Scripture exegetically, where we take out from Scripture what it says and study to understand it rather than eisegetically approaching the study of God’s word, where we cherry pick and make Scripture say what we want it to.
Application
- God’s promises are yes and amen. But they are not instant gratification. There is a journey in the waiting as we trust in God and His perfect will and timing for the promises He fulfills in our lives.
- What promise are you hoping in? Is it, in fact a promise from God? Or a hope?
- Lay down your hopes and pick up God’s. His plans are far superior to our own, and He is always right on time!
Go with God and His precious word, friends! Join us tomorrow in the book of Joshua!
Listen in to the Bible Tribe podcast on the player below.
To purchase the Bible Tribe journal, see the available versions below.
