This post is Day 14 in a series of studies about “Gifts & Giving”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Gifts & Giving – Day 14

Before He created anything, God knew what He would do. He knew that Adam and Eve would mess things up. Joshua, who led the Israelites into the promised land after the death of Moses was not born until about 400 years after Abraham had received the promise of the gift.

Genesis 12:7

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

The Thought

God’s long-term plans are always amazing.

Before He created anything, He knew what He would do. He knew that Adam and Eve would mess things up and He made His plans to send Jesus to restore the people of the earth to Him.

He also knew that Abraham’s wife would not give him children, at least until she was too old and needed a miracle. At the end of the previous chapter we read the very short verse stating the fact that Sarai was barren, and just in case we don’t understand that it repeats it in a different way! Sarai was barren, and she had no children (Genesis 11:30).

I guess God was trying to make His point, and His point was that He is the one who gives children when He wants them and for His purposes. It was many years later that God took away Sarai’s barrenness and gave her Isaac (Genesis 21). What a miraculous gift that was.

God’s promise of the gift of a very specific land to Abraham did not come into being until many years and several generations later. Joshua, who led the Israelites into the promised land after the death of Moses was not born until about 400 years after Abraham who had received the promise of the gift.

Action

Think today about any promises the Lord has given you; for yourself or your family, for redemption or for a specific work. Rejoice that those promises are “nearer now than when you first believed.”

Meditate on Romans 13:11 and understand that the early disciples were expecting Jesus’ return soon after He left the earth. Pray for patience as we continue to wait for fulfilment of that promise.