Promises.

Humans have this horrible habit of making promises that they never keep.  Think about it.  Daily, perhaps without even intending to, you make promises.  You promise to pick someone up from work or school.  You promise to be home before curfew.  You promise to spend more time with the Lord.  Perhaps you wear a wedding ring that promises a lifetime of fidelity or you tuck in children whom you've promised to love and protect since their birth.  Every day, we make promises.  Some we keep, some we forget, and some we simply change our minds about.


Perhaps it was this knowledge of human inconsistency that led Abraham and Sarah to doubt God's promise in the early chapters of Genesis.  Perhaps it's this same knowledge that leads you to doubt God's promises to you today.  But there's one crucial difference between human promises and promises that have been made by the Father: God always delivers on His promises.


In the early chapters of Genesis, we meet Abram and his wife, Sarai.  One of the first things we are told of Sarai is that she is physically unable to bear children.  Allow yourself, for a moment, to imagine how devastating that must have been for her.  I imagine that she must have spent countless nights crying herself to sleep, longing to mother a child.  Not because she was pitied by other women or because she felt worthless due to what she viewed as natural shortcomings, but because her heart ached to be a mother.  I imagine as the years passed and Sarai grew older, she grew hopeless, not even expecting a miracle anymore.  Watching as her friends and neighbors spent time with their children and grandchildren must have been excruciating for her.  And all the while, I'm sure she asked God numerous times, "I serve You.  I love You.  I'm faithful.  Why deny me this one precious gift?  Why not give me this one desire of my heart, Lord?"


But God made a promise.  He promised Abram, or Abraham, and Sarai, or Sarah, a son.  By now, Abe and Sarah were well into their elderly years.  In fact, upon hearing the promise God had awaiting them, they both laughed.  They thought it was impossible!  God had waited too long to bless them like that, to keep that promise.  Surely, Abraham and Sarah would never get the child they wanted.  If God hadn't blessed them with a child before, why would He suddenly bless them with one now?


But God promised.  Maybe because He is kind and loving and knew how much a son would mean to the faithful couple, or maybe because He knew Isaac would be the best instrument to use to fulfill His purpose. Either way, He promised Abraham and Sarah a child.  And although they had to wait, although they were impatient and disobedient through Hagar, although they doubted and laughed in His face...God still delivered that promise.  Simply because He keeps His word.


Perhaps God has promised you something.  It could be a spouse, a ministry, a child, a career, a healing, or a home. Regardless of what the promise consists of, know that He will deliver on that promise.  How can you know that?  When things look bad, like they can't or won't possibly work out, how can you know that God will deliver?  Because He has an amazing track record.  Unlike humans made of flesh and carnality, God's promises have lasting power.  They remain when nothing else does.


I've been tempted to give up on God's specific promises to me.  In the past month especially, a war has been raging within my mind.  Doubt is such a horrid manner of destruction, but if we're truthful with ourselves, it's the first resource we tend to cling to when things don't go the way we want them to.  "How could God ever work this out?  Why would God ever work this out?  I know He said He would do this, but look at this mess.  There's just no way."  Good grief, the Lord knows I've felt like that more times than I'd like to admit.  


But countless times, through His word and through His work, He has proven that He always, always, always keeps His word.  There is not one promise ever made by our Father that He has abandoned, neglected, or refused to keep.  Believe God for the promises He's made to you.  It may take some time; Abraham and Sarah were well past their childbearing days when Isaac was born.  But have faith that your Isaac will be born; your promise from God will come through.  Because when God makes a promise, He keeps it.  Always.