He is Able to Perform

Abraham did not waver

at the promise of God through unbelief,

but was strengthened in faith,

giving glory to God,

and being fully convinced

that what He had promised

He was also able to perform.

Romans 4:20-21, NKJV

 Have you ever received a promise from God, and then watched Him fulfill it? It's a wonderful feeling to hold in your hand the answer to your prayers, the satisfaction of your dreams and desires, the fulfillment of good things God told you He would give or do--and to know that God is the One who did it. He was the only one who could, and He came through for you.

It may have been at the last possible moment, but He came through. It may have not come in the way you imagined, or told God it should, but He came through. It may have been a long time coming, a seeming eternity in which you had to wait patiently and believe. It may have looked impossible, out of reach, like it was never going to happen, or that it never would. Maybe you thought God had forgotten you, or what He said. Maybe you thought God had changed His mind, or that you had messed up so badly that He decided you weren't worth the promise. Maybe you thought you heard wrong, that you misjudged God, that you had held on to a pipe dream or a vaporous mist that vanished with the dawn. Maybe you thought the day would never come.

Maybe you feel like that today.

Abraham received a promise from God when he was 75 years old. God told him, "You and your 65 year old wife have been married a while and have no children, but I promise you your descendants will number as the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore." Hooray! Just what Abraham wanted: a son to carry on his name and receive his inheritance. In fact, many sons. Maybe Abraham went right home and started doing his part to bring about the promise of God. But something wasn't working right, because it didn't happen. It didn't happen that year, it didn't even happen that decade. But Abraham did not waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God. He knew what he had heard.

So he kept believing, kept rejoicing, kept strengthening himself in faith, and kept acting on the promise. Maybe he built a nursery. Maybe they bought all the furniture. Maybe they had a trunk full of baby clothes. But still there was no baby.

They thought they'd help God out and give Abraham a substitute wife. But that didn't work out real well either (and those battles are still being fought in the Middle East today).

And then when it looked impossible, when time had passed and the bodies of these two old people weren't working like they had in their youth... Sarah's womb was dead, and Abraham's body lifeless. What had God said? And then God showed up. And lifelessness returned to life, deadness was resurrected, and these two old people received strength to conceive, and Sarah brought forth a son!

The thing we have to realize is that it was never up to Abraham and Sarah to fulfill God's promises. It was God's to do. And God who promised it proved Himself faithful again, because He who promised is also able to perform it!

If you are waiting on promises from God, just keep living by faith. Keep rejoicing. Keep reminding yourself and God what He has promised. Keep acting upon your faith. Because one of these days, God is going to say, "The time is now; it is done!" And you better be ready to receive it, because it is coming in full!