And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb. Romans 4:19
Many of the children in an elementary school class had brought a parent or grandparent to a special event they held for the students. During a discussion about the future, the children were asked what they would like to be doing on their 100th birthday. The same question was also asked of the parents and grandparents. My response was that I would like to be eating a T-bone steak. Others had similar and not-so-similar responses. They were all fanciful, of course, because none of us expected we would ever see our 100th birthday. Such birthdays are exceedingly rare, including one of my grandmothers who enjoyed a nice serving of oysters on her 100th birthday. This rarity makes it all the more amazing that Abraham would be so accepting of God’s promise to him of a son when he reached that age.
To father a son at Abraham’s age would have been amazing enough, but his wife was not far behind him in years, and she had never been able to bear a child even when young. Her womb was dead. But that did not matter to Abraham; God had made a promise, and God would keep that promise. We can with hindsight look back and be pleased at how God blessed Abraham with a son. But Abraham was not looking back with hindsight, he was looking forward in faith to a son through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. What would we have done? What have we done with the promises our Lord has given us?
And God has indeed given to us exceeding rich and precious promises. Such as promising never to leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5), not allowing us to be tested beyond our capabilities (1 Corinthians 10:13), that He will come back for us (John 14:3), and many many more. These are collective promises that all of us can claim and appreciate. But God also makes promises to us as individuals, promises that are directly related to our own personal circumstances. Have you ever received such a promise? How do you receive such a promise? God has one (and only one) special route through which you can receive individual promises from Him. That route is prayer and the reading of His Word. By prayer I do not refer to the simple reciting of a desire but to the fervent laying hold upon God to determine whether your desire is according to His purpose for you. And it is through the reading of His Word that our Lord speaks to us. If we don’t read it, He can’t give us any promises from it. But if we do read it, faithfully and carefully and systematically and expectantly, He will speak.
God’s promises are to those who will believe them. Including promises that He wants to give to us individually. -Jim MacIntosh