God Always Fulfills What He Promises
Author
Dr. Roberto Miranda
Summary: God called Abram to leave his country, his people, his security, and his own plans in order to receive a far greater promise: a nation, a great name, protection, a new destiny, and blessing for all nations. That promise required him to put everything on the line and take a step of faith. Abram responded promptly: he left behind what was familiar and followed the Lord without knowing where he was going. Faith does not always receive every explanation beforehand; we must take God’s hand and follow Him, trusting that He will show us the way. When Abram arrived in Canaan, he believed, built an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord, walking in the certainty that he would receive the promised land. We too can trust God even when trials arise or circumstances seem to contradict His promises. If we keep our eyes fixed on Him, we will discover time and again that He never lets us down, that He fights our battles, and that He faithfully fulfills what He has promised.
Abraham's story begins with a promise from God: if you are willing to leave your country and your nation, I will make you into a great nation. If you are willing to leave your people, where you are known, where everyone knows you by name, and if you are willing to become a nobody, a complete nonentity, then I will give you a great name.
If you are willing to leave your security, your comfort zone, and live a risky life, then I am going to fight your battles. All those who bless you, I will bless; all those who dishonor you, I am going to curse. I am going to fight your battles; I am going to watch your back, but you have to be willing to leave everything behind. If you are willing to give up your life's dream—perhaps the career, the plan you had for your life—and lose everything and wander through an unknown land, then I am going to give you a new plan for your life, a new destiny. In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
Abram, you can hold on to your small plan and lose everything, or let Me fulfill a great plan in your life, but if you do not put everything on the table, nothing will happen. You have to take the step of faith.
And thank God Abram was faithful, and he took the risk. He left the next morning. He did not wait long. The Bible says that Abram left everything and followed Jehovah without knowing where he was going. How interesting, isn't it? Some of us say, “Lord, show me what You want from me, and I will follow You,” and God says, “Look, follow Me, and I will show you what I want from you, all right? But you have to close your eyes, take My hand, and trust that I will work everything out along the way. I will show you what I want from you, but you have to trust Me even when you do not know where you are going.” And Abram did it.
And when he arrived in Canaan, which would later become the land he was to inherit, Israel, he arrived there, and God said to him, “Here you are. You are in the land where I am going to bless you.” And so Abraham, the Word says, believed God, built an altar, called upon the Name of Jehovah, and walked through the land knowing: God is going to give me this land.
If you trust in God no matter what and place your hand in His, He will show Himself faithful time and again. He will never let you down. Even if trials come and situations arise that seem to contradict His promises, if you keep your eyes fixed on Him, you will confirm that He is faithful, and you will receive what He has promised you.
For deeper reflection, I recommend studying Gregory Bishop's sermon: A Journey of Spiritual Growth