How often do you ask God if He’s even there, if He cares about you, or why He’s taking so long to answer your prayers? Most people have probably found themselves asking these questions! I want you to remember that God always does the right thing. As you look at Abram (later called Abraham) and his role as a giant of faith, keep in mind that his life began in a major, pagan city. There was nothing morally extraordinary about him—he was a pagan! When you question whether or not God can use YOU, study the life of Abraham. He was someone ordinary who God used for something extraordinary.
But one of Abraham’s struggles, even after becoming a follower of God, was trusting God. Do you ever feel like God isn’t keeping His end of the bargain? I’m sure that when God promised Abraham He was going to make him the father of many nations (read Genesis Chapter 12), he expected it to happen quickly! Abraham and Sarai (later called Sarah) felt they were too old to have children, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. They were forgetting that God always does the right thing, even if it takes a long time.
“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said” (Genesis 16:1-2). Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Not only were they trying to make things happen in their timing rather than God’s, they went about it in an obviously immoral way that had devastating consequences. Sometimes, the longer God postpones His promise, the more you depart from His principles.
So far, I’ve only given you a picture of Abraham’s dark side. Isn’t he considered a giant of faith? He is, but he definitely went on a journey getting there! After God had already told Abraham that he’d be the father of many nations (and Abraham tried to make this happen himself), He then specifically promised Abraham a child (Genesis 18:10-13). That child (Isaac) would play a huge role in testing Abraham’s faith. While Abraham had struggled to fully follow God, Isaac would help him find his way, something I’ll dive into more tomorrow! For now, remember that God always does the right thing, even if it seems absurd.