I was listening to a sermon about Faith, citing the great Faith Passages in Hebrews and the Heroes of Faith. All normal people that had flaws and shortcomings but were commended and remembered for one or two great actions of faith.
As it would, the teaching got round to Abraham and Sarah, and the original story in Genesis 18. God makes a promise to Abraham, and Sarah, inside the tent is listening in and laughs at God’s words that she will bear a son. And God says:
“…is anything too hard for the Lord?”
(Genesis 18:14)
…and this is where I got stuck.
The obvious answer is: No.
We are the result of that promise, so obviously God kept his word. Sarah had a son, and the story continued.
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Promises made…
So why is it that sometimes it seems that God’s promises are not coming through? Is it perhaps because it was an instruction and not a promise? Or the promise was linked to an instruction that we need to complete?
The Israelites and the Promised Land
Nehemiah and the walls of Jerusalem
Jesus’ disciples sent out two by two…
Sometimes God commands. Go… Go to the Land, Go to the People, Go to War.
But we don’t. We don’t buy the plane ticket, the people don’t come to us to hear the good news and the war is missing one soldier. And then we are confused because “God said…”, and it is not happening…
Before the promise can be fulfilled, I need to show up. Whether I understand how God will do it or not. Sarah knew without a shadow of a doubt she can’t have a child. The Israelites knew that Jericho’s walls were impenetrable. Nehemiah knew that the Israelites have been trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem for over 70 years.
But before God was willing to fulfill His promises, and even though, by and large, they were not experts in the field, He required His people to actively participate.
There is a difference between God’s Instruction and God’s Promises. God will always keep His promises, and He will always be with us on the journey He sent us on, knowing that the journey will be teaching us valuable skills and allow us to meet critical people, but He will not force us to go.
… unless your name is Jonah 😉
