In Genesis 17, the scripture tells us that Abraham laughed when God told him that Sarah was going to have a child. In the next chapter, Sarah laughs, too. The promise of God, which would have given them hope years ago, now sounded like a mere joke. It was not believable anymore. The Lord was gracious; He didn’t punish them for their unbelief, but He wasn’t joking!
In Genesis 17, the Lord specifically said that this child was going to come through Sarah! The promise of twenty four years ago suddenly had a definition and specificity that they had never heard before. Sarah was going to carry this child, and she was going to have this child in one year. Is there any room for filling the gap with the flesh or carnal reasoning? Not anymore. It is finished. The child would be here in a year. He will be named Isaac, which means “laughter”. The very child that brought a laugh of unbelief, this time around would bring a laughter out of a promise fulfilled!
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 1Cor 1:19 (NIV)
What the Lord has promised, He will fulfill in our lives. When we try to figure out how the Lord is going to work it out in our lives, we start leaning on our own understanding and intelligence. Then when things don’t go the way we imagined, we get frustrated with God, with ourselves, and even with others!
If it is God’s promise, then He will bring it to pass. It’s His baby first! God’s promise will happen in His timing not ours. Many times when God is fulfilling a promise, it’s not just for the person receiving the promise, but it’s also for those who will be blessed as a result of the promise being fulfilled. Abraham’s promise to have a child wasn’t just for him and Sarah, but it was for the generations to come, which included us!
If we desire something in our lives but it’s not God’s promise to us, then we need to surrender it to His will. Otherwise it can derail us from what God has for us because we’re too busy seeking/asking for what we want! Sometimes our desire is based on what is popular or what others are doing. That’s not a good reason to desire something. Instead, we should try to get clarity on that issue.
What seems too hard for the Lord to accomplish in your life!? Be honest with the Lord. Ask Him to renew your faith, focus, & obedience. Make a commitment to the Lord that you will love Him, love His people. praise Him and serve Him regardless!