When God’s Promises Might Seem Empty

Life. Interrupted. Week 2 Day 2

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 (NIV)

Abraham has 75 years old when he acted on this promise. Having children was really not an issue at this point. Abraham’s father, Terah, had his oldest son, Haran, at 70 years of age (Genesis 11:26). For Abraham, God’s promise was still full of possibilities.

God’s promise, however, went well beyond Abraham’s immediate family. While Abraham had some means, his world was being turned upside down. What he had relied on would be left behind. How do you form a great nation with land occupied by other peoples? How do you start a great nation when you haven’t even started your own family yet? The key is faithfulness.

My grandmother would have been 100 years old this year. She never had much materially. She did have twelve children to raise. My dad and his brothers and sisters eventually moved away from the boot heel of Missouri to become preachers and factory workers, truck drivers and teachers. They married and had children. Their children had children and grandchildren. When my grandmother passed in 2008, her twelve children had multiplied to 120 children, grandchildren, great-grands and some great, greats too. From one to 120 that’s quite a feat, and we didn’t even count spouses.

The remarkable thing about my grandmother’s children is that they also became God’s children. They are Abraham’s children as are all believers. The faithfulness of one person is significant.

The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:8-9 (NIV)

“Father Abraham” had many sons, indeed. You and I can be thankful for Abraham’s faithfulness. Through this one man, God developed a connection with humanity that extends to every believer.

Stop right now and thank God for that connection with you.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.