When I woke this morning, the song playing in my spirit was “He’s Already Provided.” I didn’t know who sang the song, so I searched YouTube. There, I found the musical stylings of Martha Munizzi; what I thought was a simple song became a moment of worship. In the song, she sang a line that says, “Every promise you can claim, just ask it in His name.” She wanted the listener to grasp the concept by repeating the phrase several times: “Every promise you can claim.” So the question I have is: are we claiming the promises?
The Story: Genesis 15:4-6
In Genesis 15:4-6, God gave Abram a promise that he would have a son and his descendants would number the stars in the sky. For someone in their 20s or 30s, this promise seems logical. But Abram and his wife were well past childbearing years. Despite what it looked like in the natural, only God can do the supernatural. Despite human intervention, God’s plan will prevail. In Genesis 21, Sarai gives birth to Isaac, the fulfillment of God’s promise.
With their son in tow, life was grand for Abram and Sarai. They’re blessed, and all is right with the world. However, God brought a challenge to Abram to confirm the alignment of his priorities. Although Isaac’s birth was a miracle, God asked Abram to sacrifice him (see Genesis 22). This is cruel and unusual punishment to the naked eye, but the Bible says, “God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and his ways are higher than mine” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Therefore, we cannot fathom everything God does, but we can choose to trust that He’s working for our good (Romans 8:28).
Although the request was difficult, Abram obliged God and took Isaac to the mountain. Isaac knew God’s customs and practices, so he inquired about the sacrifice. Because of Abram’s faith in God, he responded that God would provide. That’s exactly what God did.
The Lesson
When we think about the story of Abram, Sarai, and Isaac, we can ask ourselves some questions: Are we willing to sacrifice what we prayed for to walk in obedience to God? Do we trust that He will provide even if the circumstances say otherwise?
God’s promises create excitement and joy, but the process to fulfillment isn’t always wrapped in a nice, pretty bow. Will we still trust God in the process? It’s in the process that our faith grows.
No matter the struggle, resistance, or delay, God has already provided the ram in the bush. Trust God and hold on to the promise. One of the promises resides in 2 Peter 1:3 NLT: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life.” KJV puts it this way: “…given unto us all thing that pertains to life and godliness…”
Regardless of the translation, the scripture is clear: God “provides” all that we need for this life as we follow Him. This is a promise from God, but He doesn’t force it on us. We decide if we want to receive it or not.
Also, the notion of receiving God’s promises isn’t reserved only for Christians but all people. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is the number of promises we can access. For non-Christians, they have the promise that if they seek Jesus, they will indeed find Him. As Christians, we’ve access to all the promises that we choose to claim. What promises will we possess today?
