“The Lord had said to Abram (Abraham), ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abraham left, as the Lord had told him.” (Gen. 12:1-4)
Perfectly characterizing Abraham’s response to God’s promises, Romans 4:20 says, “He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
In 1998, I stood looking at the ruins of Ur in what is today southern Iraq. I remember thinking that this was the place where Abraham was born. A short while later, I found myself hundreds of miles away in the Palestinian city of Hebron, staring at the tomb of Abraham. It was sobering to think that Abraham had moved by faith from Ur to Haran, and finally to Hebron.
Perhaps the greatest challenge Abraham experienced was that of sacrificing his son Isaac. Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb.” Then, in a thicket nearby, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns. He sacrificed the ram instead of his son. Even in the face of the greatest sacrifice that a father might make – his own son – Abraham staggered not at the promise of God.
God has also made the following promises to every sincere believer, as recorded in the Scripture. In following the example of Abraham, let us not stagger at the these marvelous promises:
The Promise of Spiritual Light. “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).
The Promise of Spiritual Fullness. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’” (John 6:35).
The Promise of Strength for Life’s Journey. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).
The Promise of Eternal Life. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Are you uncertain of your eternal destiny? Ponder this verse of Holy Scripture that speaks certainty to you about your eternal destiny.
Maybe the challenges of life seem overwhelming to you right now and you are staggering with unbelief or doubt, let God’s Word speak faith in place of doubt and confidence in place of uncertainty. What God has promised, He will perform because God is faithful.
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lam. 3:22-23, NLT
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