What is your attitude when presented with the promise?

I’d like to ask you a question today…what is your attitude when presented with the promise? How do you react to reading one of God’s promises in His Word, listening to a promise that’s personally addressed to you?

Does it trigger joy or apprehension? Faith or doubt?

I believe that we can react differently depending on the promise. And God knows us perfectly! Certain promises may leave us perplexed, even skeptical, because our situation seems so complex or impossible to resolve.

Sarah had lost all hope of having children. God had promised that He would give her and her husband a legacy, and then days passed…and months…and then years. And as time slipped away, so did Sarah’s joyful expectation and faith. Then one day, God spoke to Abraham again, saying, “‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’” (the Bible, Genesis 18:10, NIV)

As the account goes, Sarah, probably filled with desperation, “laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’” (Genesis 18:12) 

And yet, the promise was fulfilled! One year later, Isaac was born! And did you know that Isaac means “Laughter” or “He laughs”? Sarah’s not the only one who laughed—Abraham did as well (see Genesis 17:17).

You see, nothing stops God from fulfilling His promise, not even your doubt or despair. The fulfillment of the promise rests not on you, but on Jesus, who did everything so that it could be accomplished!