"The Promise of God" - Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

If I had a magic wand, I’d really set things right.  If I had a magic wand, I’d put an end to the war in Ukraine.  I’d make Russia a functioning democracy content within its own borders.  If I had a magic wand, I’d put an end to racism and poverty, to sexism and all fear of those different from ourselves.  If I had a magic wand, I’d stop this whole global warming problem, though I might also take the edge off of Minnesota winters.

 I imagine that Abraham also wished for a magic wand from time to time.  God had given him a great promise, a promise that his ancestors would be a great nation and that through him all the world would be blessed.  Yet decades had past and Abraham had no children at all.  In fact, he seemed to suffer and struggle just like everyone else- there was no sign that he would birth a great nation, no sign that his life would bless the whole world.  I bet Abraham would have liked to wave a magic wand and have God’s promise be fulfilled just whenever he wanted it to be.

 Abraham didn’t have a magic wand.  What he had was the promise of God.  When Abraham complained to God about this promise not being fulfilled, God simply reiterated the promise- He told Abraham that no matter how things looked to him he would one day be a blessing to the world.  I don’t know why things are the way they are.  I don’t know why God’s promise to bring the kingdom of God about here on the earth is taking so long to be fulfilled.  But I know that God has promised that if we walk with Christ, we will be a part of bringing this kingdom to earth.  Though it didn't happen on his schedule, Abraham did have a son and his life was a blessing to the world.  If we trust in God, if we try our best to show up for God and for one another, one day I believe we will see the fulfillment of God’s promise.  One day we will find ourselves being a blessing to the world, to another child of God.  May God guide us to this day and increase our faith along the way.

 Pastor Andrew Greenhaw