God’s precious promises – Day 2

God’s call contained the greatest of promises: Abram, you, me and all humankind would be blessed through him.

Oh, to have the faith of Abram and accept God’s will for our life! Abram, at the age of 75, was willing to leave his comfort zone, his country and his people to venture out into the unknown, in obedience to God’s call. When we respond to God’s call, he rewards us beyond our deserving; however, that reward may not be immediate. God has his own timetable. Abram was 99 years old before God confirmed his covenant and renamed him Abraham (Genesis 12:5-7).

It would take God’s people many more generations to understand the implications of God’s promise to Abraham on their own lives. Matthew in his Gospel confirmed the great news — Jesus was the long-awaited, promised Messiah.

He did this by painstakingly setting out the genealogy of Jesus in the opening chapter. Stating in the very first verse: “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Paul made it very clear that God’s promise to Abraham applied to both Jews and Gentiles: “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Abraham’s life is a mirror of what our lives must be. Through the Holy Spirit we too have received a call from God – “Believe in the Lord Jesus”, and a promise – “and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

In response to that call we have to put God first in our life. May God grant us the grace to do so.