God Fulfills His Promises . . . In His Time Frame

Acts 7:5; Hebrews 11:13-16: "He (God) have him (Abraham) no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at the time Abraham had no child . . . . All these people (including Abraham) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own . . . . They were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."


The story of Abraham's life is an incredible testimony of faith in the promises of God, even though those promises would not be fulfilled in the patriarch's lifetime. If one remembers the story of Abraham in the book of Genesis, one recalls that God called Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to a distant place that the Lord would determine. Abraham would end up travelling hundreds of miles to an unfamiliar territory, with only the hope of the promise of God that he would receive the land to which God was sending him.

When Abraham arrived to the Judean territory, he did not take title to the land that the Lord seemingly promised him; in fact, he would wander around the land in nomadic fashion until the end of his days. The only land that he would own was a small burial cave for Sarah and himself that he purchased from the Hittites near Mamre.

One might conclude that Abraham could have been justified in any frustration at God for not delivering His promises during Abraham's lifetime. But Abraham's trust in God had been fueled by his intimate fellowship that he regularly had with the Lord. Hebrews 6:15 tells us that "Abraham waited patiently (finally) receiving what he was promised." This was faith in the midst of conflicting circumstances. Whereas Abraham could have capitulated to his dismal earthly circumstances (wandering around in the land to which God had promised him . . . and not taking ownership), Abraham, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to rise above his circumstances to press on in obedience to the Lord in spite of his circumstances. Abraham was able to see that he was still on journey even when he arrived in Palestine; in fact, he was just beginning the trek that would continue until the day of his death, when he would finally take possession of God's ultimate Promised Land! Abraham determined that his ephemeral earthly life was to be lived as a sojourner on pilgrimage. Abraham knew that the earthly life was not the end to which he should passionately pursue; rather, the patriarch knew that all of his determination should be on dwelling in God's presence in eternity. Abraham would not permit his earthly circumstances to dissuade him from his faith in the Almighty and His promise of eternal blessing . . . Heaven.

What is so incredibly telling is the above cited passage, that God "is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." God is so proud of those who would trust Him in faith no matter what their circumstances might be . . . those who would commit themselves to the promises of the Lord even if those promises are not realized until eternity. These are people who can see the bigger picture of life through the lens of God's eternal plans and purposes. God is not ashamed to be called the Lord of those who would demonstrate such faith in Him. And just as Abraham was strengthened through his intimate fellowship with the Lord (see Genesis 12 & 15), so too we should be strengthening our faith by being intimately connected to the Lord through His Word and through prayer.

Let's adopt a sojourner's attitude in this life. And as we travel through the painful ordeals that this world has to offer, let us embrace the promises of God that He has presented to those who have surrendered to Him as Lord and Savior. He has told us that He has prepared for us a Promised Land (see John 14:1-3). May we through faith and intimacy with our Lord press on to the goal of life . . . eternal fellowship with the Almighty!