“Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
Genesis 18:14 (ESV)
There are many voices vying for our attention. The voice of the world that preaches, “You do you.” The voice of the devil that whispers, “Everyone else is doing it.” The voice of false prophets who twist the truth. The voice of our conscience that urges us to follow the path of least resistance.
Abram was given a promise by God that he would beget an heir. Instead of honoring that promise by waiting for God’s perfect timing, he ‘listened to the voice of Sarai’ (Genesis 16:2) and allowed himself to be manipulated by the voice of reason; his wife was too old to bear children and he himself was nearly a hundred years old. Why not have a child through the means of a servant?
The problem with reason is that it places the burden of fulfillment upon us; we call this self-actualization. Self-actualization relies on our abilities, our ingenuity, and our potential to realize our dreams.
Faith, on the other hand, places the assurance of things hoped for upon Christ (Hebrews 11:1). Though we may not see a way to the completion of God’s promise, we live with the conviction that nothing is impossible with God (Genesis 18:14, Luke 1:37).
“Yes, God’s promises often seem too good to be true. But that’s because God alone is able to provide that which is too good to be true! He is sovereign over all things, which means He can accomplish what we never dreamed possible… If the promise does come from God, it’s up to you to embrace it and watch what God can do when you respond to Him in faith.”1
T.D. Jakes goes on to say, “I am tired of watching people settle for less than God’s best in their lives. I am tired of seeing church folk dragged down by waiting I am tired of seeing God’s people take matters into their own hands and build themselves counterfeit promises and counterfeit blessings…. Even if it takes longer than I ever imagined, I will not settle.”
Waiting on God can be difficult. It will definitely test your faith. But the result is well worth it!
1 T.D. Jakes, When Women Pray: 10 Women of the Bible Who Changed the World Through Prayer, New York, NY: Faith Words, 2020.