His Promises Don’t Fail

Throughout the narrative of the Bible, we have stories of men and women who believed what God had promised them.

The Book of Hebrews is one such book that tells us this clearly.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation” (Hebrews 11:1-2 [ESV]).

The verse above defines active faith as that which knows things hoped for are assured. Then the eleventh chapter of Hebrews lists many examples of men and women of faith (Hebrews 11:4-40).

All of them received promises from God, some of which would be physically impossible for anyone other than God to grant.

How could an old couple such as Abraham and Sarah have descendants as numerous as the stars? Sarah was barren and Abraham was also in old age.

It took twenty-five years for this to occur, to test their faith, but it ended up happening exactly as God intended it, even though Sarah suggested Abraham sleep with her maid to birth Ishmael, contrary to what God had said about one from Abraham’s own body being the heir of his household with Sarah, not Hagar.

How many of us would wait twenty-five years for a promise from God to occur in our lives? People today don’t even want to wait in line at a drive-thru, or they get angry about a red light.

But that is what it takes to please our Elohim. He wants to test our obedience and our patience, and often, mold us into people who are worthy of receiving the promises of God.

Joseph was told he would be a great ruler, and that even his own father and mother (not only his brothers) would bow down before him in the future. But was his heart truly ready to live out such a promise? Or did the twenty-two years between the dreams and their fulfillment offer Joseph a greater purpose in refining his heart?

We all want the blessings of the covenant and the promises of God, but are we truly ready at the time we receive such things? Likely not.

And say we are ready to walk in those things. What if the world stage at large, or other people and situations, aren’t quite primed to bring the promise to life just yet?

God’s timing is not usually our timing. We might think waiting twenty-two years for something would be heart-wrenching and impossible. But if Joseph was able to do that, and Abraham was able to wait on his son, Isaac, we have the same power in us that led them to such patience.

If God gives you a promise, it’s probably not going to happen next Tuesday, but it might happen after twenty years of Tuesdays.

I believe Joseph’s situation was done for multiple purposes. To show his family God’s sovereign power over even the heart of kings, to show humans His prophecies cannot be thwarted, to test Joseph’s faith when things looked impossible, and to image Jesus Christ in a typology.

The more impossible something seems, the more likely it is that God is the one behind the promise.

If God gives you some sort of promise in your own life, external situations should mean little to you. Remember, David’s brothers saw a little shepherd, and God saw a military victor and king.

Let Yahweh be the one to define things for you, not the will and ideas of mankind.

If you want the promises of God fulfilled in your life, then follow God’s instructions as the road to get there. If you are faithful in a little, then He will entrust you with much.

And I will tell you firsthand, even family members might dismiss things and not understand God’s will for your life.

But that’s how we work as humans, isn’t it?

The disciples could not fathom a crucified Messiah, yet that’s how He conquered far more than the empire’s oppression. He conquered essentially the entire globe.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and sometimes I wonder if that’s a little in-joke God has with His words.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Jesus is the most famous person in history. You can’t get rid of Him. Like He said, “Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away.”

He’s correct up to this point.

God’s plan doesn’t always look like the plans you had laid out. It often makes you wonder how it will come to pass, and if he got the wrong guy or gal.

 But the Bible being the best-selling book involved God’s plans and promises to individuals. Paul wrote many of his letters in chains, yet he is one of the most famous people in history.

God doesn’t think in conventional ways.

When I say this, I mean that the road to your promise doesn’t look like a clean racetrack from start to finish.

When God is involved, He might have you swim while others are running on dry land to get to the finish line.

Joseph ended up in the pit, slavery, the dungeon, and finally the palace.

Abraham’s wife Sarah had quit her cycle decades prior to the promise, yet God promised a son through her.

God does His best work in impossible situations.

Have the patience to see the vision become a reality. It might be when you’re forty-six, but God does not lie to His people.

This applies to career development, romance, and everything in your life.

I think He knows best, and the best way to make such things happen.

Trust Him with your promise and don’t doubt like a fool.

A being that created trillions of galaxies can make something happen in a human being’s life, like you will blink in the next half-second.

Remember that God is a loving father and does not want us to lack good things. We are promised that we will have tribulation in this world for following Jesus, but our King lives on the other side of His initial coming’s purpose in infinite glory.

We must always die to ourselves and suffer first before we are crowned with a new life.

That’s just how He works most of the time.

Blessings and shalom to you!