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Promises Kept

  • January 9, 2026
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
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When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. – Hebrews 6:13-15

Abraham was promised by God to be the father of a great and mighty nation. This is an amazing promise made more amazing when you look at the facts of the situation. God made this promise to Abraham when he was a 100-year-old man. His wife Sarah was a spry and youthful 90 years old when she finally became pregnant, giving birth to the couple’s one and only son. We add to this amazing story when God tested Abraham’s faith by instructing him to sacrifice his long-awaited heir. But as I meditate on this passage, I am convinced that the most amazing thing about God’s promise was the fact that Abraham died without ever seeing it.

Abraham fathered Isaac who fathered Jacob. Jacob was the father of twelve sons. God used Joseph, one of the twelve sons, to lead Jacob’s entire family to Egypt to survive a severe famine. While there, Jacob’s family could have easily been interspersed into the population of Egypt. Instead, God maintained the family, and they grew into a powerful nation, even as Pharoah forced them all into slavery. Even laws imposed to limit the number of children they could have were ineffective in slowing their growth rate. By the time Moses led the people across the dry land of a parted Red Sea, God’s promise to Abraham had manifested as they had truly become a great and powerful nation.

And Abraham never saw any of this happen!

I am awestruck by Abraham’s faith. How did he not struggle with God’s timing? How did he ward off the feelings of doubt, having not seen the evidence? After all, one son is not a nation. At any moment a wild animal or thief could jump out and kill him. He could have fallen ill or been struck by lightning or suffered any number of maladies bringing about the end of Isaac’s life and Abraham’s nation. Parents in today’s modern age work tirelessly to prevent danger and eliminate any threat to the health and well-being of their children. There are many pitfalls to avoid and lots of things to worry about. But looking back, we don’t see Abraham losing sleep to worry. His confidence was in the Lord, and it was unwavering.

The story of God’s promise to Abraham serves as an important model for us today. God’s love for us is without limit, and through His word, He has made promises to us upon which we can rely. However, we often find ourselves lacking trust in God and the promises He has made to us. We grow impatient, refusing to wait on His perfect timing. We grow arrogant, thinking we know better than He does. We become short-sighted, desiring immediate gratification over prudent, long-term blessings. That’s our sinful nature getting the better of us. We have a mountain of evidence showing us God’s way is best, but we still doubt Him.

Thankfully, God knows us fully, including our collection of flaws. Doubt and disbelief are rooted in sin. God overcame our sin through Jesus’s redemptive work on the cross. His empty tomb brings us back into a right relationship with God. We’re even gifted with the Holy Spirit who creates and strengthens the faith within us. This free gift of love from our Heavenly Father gives us what we need to put our trust in Him and all of His promises.

What are you waiting for? Whatever it is, know that God will bring it to you in the manner that He knows is best. God loves you. What he has for you is good and will be a blessing to you now and forever. You may not see it now but have faith in Him and know it is coming.

And it is good.

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations