And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Hebrews 6:15
We want that greatness thing. We want it so badly that we can taste it. We want the recognition. We want people to recognize us when we walk down the aisle of the grocery store. We want people to wave at us as we drive by. To ask for our autograph. They’ll interrupt us to take a selfie with us that draws thousands of likes across the internet and around the world.
And we want the path to greatness to be short and sweet too. We think that our efforts are so marvelous that everyone will instantly see them for the genius that they are. They won’t be able to put down our written words because they are spellbound. They won’t be able to pause watching or listening to us either.
Now, everyone might want greatness to come at the drop of a hat, but deep down in their heads they know that it just doesn’t work that way. It takes lots of time, energy, and effort to just get better. Becoming great takes even longer. Here are a few examples.
JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, was rejected by 12 publishers.
Michael Jordon was cut from his high school team because he lacked skills.
Abraham Lincoln lost seven elections.
Elvis Presley was told “You ain’t going nowhere son.”
Walt Disney was told that he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
The same was true with Abraham. God gave him this great big promise. Through God, he was going to become a great nation. God was going to bless him and Abraham was going to be a blessing. And the biggest promise of all was that all the peoples on earth would be bless through him[1].
So, what happened? Did all these blessings just sort of fall out of the sky? Was there this spiritual flood that overflowed Abraham’s life and everyone he knew? Did his bank account get this giant anonymous deposit? Did he win the Powerball® lottery?
Well, not exactly. The first thing he had to do was to leave home[2]. He had to literally take his family and walk away from everyone he knew. He had to abandon everything that he’d become familiar with.
And where was this promised land? Where was it on Google Maps? How far away was it and how long was it going to take to get there? The answer from the great and all powerful God of the universe was short and sweet. It was “the land that I will show you.[3]”
So, what exactly did Abraham personally and immediately receive when God spoke and shared his promise with Abraham? Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Not a darn thing. Not even a crumb of anything that he could hold onto. But it get’s worse.
When did he get the full and final fulfillment of God’s promise? What was the date and time that he got all the land? All the animals? All the gold? All the power? All the influence? All the followers on social media? Did he ever personally get the whole enchilada of God’s promise while he was alive in this life?
In a word – no. He never saw it all. He never received it all. He never held it in his hands. He never created a nation. Not everyone looked at him and said, “Well, there goes Abraham. He’s been a great blessing to me and my family. Heck, he’s blessed everyone. What a guy.”
Now, here’s where it get’s a bit confusing. Yes, Abraham never saw it all in this life. Yes, he didn’t get all the blessings and benefits that God promised while alive. And yet, what does the writer say to these Hebrews who are going through persecution and a really rough life? God was absolutely faithful and kept his promises.
Abraham received each and everyone of those promises. Even though he didn’t see them with his physical eyes, of hold them while alive on this planet, Abraham received them.
So, what’s Abraham’s secret for greatness? It’s not that he waited, but how he waited. He didn’t just hang around, twiddling his thumbs while he waited for God to deliver on his promises. He waited patiently. He wasn’t impatient or quick-tempered, he was willing to wait on the Lord[4].
The process towards greatness has waiting on the Lord plastered all over it. It’s like graffiti spraypainted all over a building. We can’t avoid looking at it. We can’t ignore it. It’s there and we must see it. There’s no getting around it. So, how’s our process of waiting on the Lord? Are we demanding to get it all right now? Or are we going to give God some space to deliver on his promises in his time. In his way. After all, God does his best work when we keep our hands off of life and folded in prayer.
Noodling Questions
Give three examples of how people said that you’d never amount to anything
How is the promise of God the most powerful thing in the universe?
Why does waiting on the Lord seem so long?
[1] Genesis 12:2
[2] Genesis 12:1
[3] Genesis 12:1 ESV
[4] Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 8:17, 25:9, 40:31
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