A Hope That Does Not Disappoint: Making The Transition From Works To Faith

Checklist 

Tell me if this situation sounds familiar to you. You receive a promise from God, and you know with every fiber in your being that this promise is especially for you. To make sure that the promise will come to pass you begin to do the things that are required to see the promise come to fruition. 

1. Prayer
2. Fasting
3. Removing sin and living holy
4. Wait for the promise to come

But instead of the promise appearing, trouble comes instead so the list gets longer

1. Prayer
2. Fasting
3. Removing sin and living holy
4. Asking for others to pray and fast
5. Wait for the promise to come

Now surely the promise will make its appearance right. But no, frustration and doubt have stepped into the process instead. This causes the list for the promised manifestation to get longer still.

1. Prayer
2. Fasting
3. Removing sin and living holy
4. Frustration
5. Doubt
6. Repent for doubting
7. Wait for the promise to come

What if I told you that God's checklist may look a lot different from ours? What if the things required for the promise to appear in our lives requires an unexpected journey instead

1. Tribulation
2. Perseverance
3. Character
4. Hope
5. Faith 
6. Love
7. Promise

The Wait 

The apostle Paul in writing to the church in Rome used Abraham as an example of waiting on God for what appeared to be an impossible promise. Twenty-four years had passed from the time God first mentioned to Abraham that he would be a father (Genesis 12). By the time Genesis 17 comes around Abraham is 99 and Sarah is 90, physically there is no way that a child can come forth at this point. Just like them, in our lives, there have been promises that seemed absolutely impossible to come to pass from a natural standpoint. But what God asks of us is to believe in Him instead of ourselves. First God would change Abram's name to Abraham to reflect the promise of the father of many nations. Sarai's name would also be changed to Sarah the mother of many nations (Genesis 17). At this point, Abraham and Sarah had already gone through their promise checklist. Just like us, out of frustration of waiting on God to fulfill His promise, they decided to try and make things happen themselves by their own works. 

 Yes, it is good to pray and do all those things. But don't put your hope in the doing of the checklist to make the promise appear. The timing of all things is in God's hands, our part is to put our trust (faith) that what He promised, He is able to perform. So whether that be a promise of marriage, healing, a child or etc. God does not disappoint! "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured, out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

God versus You 

When did Abraham finally become the father of many nations? Was it when Isaac was born or when he believed? Well, the word says this:

"I have made you a father of many nations, in the presence of Him whom he believed-God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist a though they did; who contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken. "So shall your descendants be". And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised  He was also able to perform (Romans 4:17-21)."

Who is able to make the promise come to pass, God or you? Your faith, your hope, your promise is all centered and founded on the belief that God is. Because God is good, because God loves you, because God is faithful to keep His word your promise will be fulfilled. Continue to pray and fast and seek God's face, but always remember that the promise is based on God's ability to perform not yours. "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)."

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