A Crazy Big Promise

Have you ever had someone promise something so big that you couldn’t wrap your mind around it? I mean, really – it was unthinkable? Try this one on for size. “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3)

Huh? Say what?

Now toss in the fact that Abram was seventy-five, past the age of dreaming of little ones running around. And then there was his wife. Who would think of Sarai bearing a child? She was past that. Sure, they’d wanted children, dreamed of them, hoped for them. As they grew older, they had surely grieved the loss of that dream.

Yet they worshiped and served God Almighty, the one who had made man out of the dust of the ground. He had called them out of the land of their father and they had followed. There were moments, I’m sure, when they wondered, “When?” After all, years passed since the promise of a son was first announced. And then the promise of a son was repeated, clarifying that it would be through Sarah that the son would come.

A year later, they held that child in their arms. Isaac grew, and upon a mountain God repeated the promise to Abraham. “I will surely bless you, and … in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed….” (Gen. 22:17-18) Talk about a crazy big promise! Whoa!

Generations later we hear of other names involved in the promise: Boaz and Ruth, David … and one born in the city of David, a baby named Jesus.

This then, is the Child of promise who has brought immeasurable blessing to the peoples of the world. Through his life, death and resurrection, untold millions of lives have been changed. People-groups have been impacted, and the story is not over.

The angels announced the good news of Jesus’ birth with much joy. The shepherds shared the news as they left the scene in Bethlehem long ago. Throughout the centuries, followers of Jesus Christ have continued to “go and tell.”

So what about today? How can you be involved in sharing the fulfillment of this amazing promise?

Thank you, God, that the blessing was not only to Abraham and his descendants. You planned from the beginning to bless people from every ethnic group around the world. Thank you for including all who would believe. Help me to be ready to share the good news today. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Have you ever considered the possibility that God might use you to “go and tell” his good news and bless the nations through you? Why not investigate the possibility of joining people in their spiritual journey by joining our international, multilingual team of online mentors who are reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people each year?