“And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised” (Hebrews 6:15).

There is not a promise God does not fulfill.

Today, we will be looking at the relationship between God’s promise and its fulfilment.

In verses 13-14, we are given the context of our verse: “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.'”

We know from Genesis, even after God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many descendants, it would be over a decade before its fulfillment.

What did Abraham do in the waiting years? What is entailed in waiting?

In order for Abraham to be the father of many descendants, there is something that Abraham had to do in order for this promise to be realized. God’s promise doesn’t just happen. Abraham had to live out what God promised. If Abraham did not live out God’s promise, God’s promise could not have ever happened. There has only been, and there would only be one virgin birth.

The waiting person is not passive. The waiting person is not just sitting there waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Even though the promise was not a reality, Abraham had to continue living out his part in fulfilling God’s promise.

God desires to use the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace to fulfill his desire to grow God’s kingdom. Until that promise is realized, what’s required of us to live out our part in making God’s kingdom promise a reality?

“And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”

In this waiting season, our job is to live as if God’s kingdom promise is a reality. And one day, we too will live into God’s promise realized.

Even during this season of online worship, God has been growing his church. We grew by 10% in 2020.

Great job, Little Church and Lakewoodgrace! Keep at it. Keep living as if God’s kingdom promise is a reality and together we will see God’s promise realized.

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

The LORD is:

• My rock
• My fortress
• My deliverer
• My refuge
• My shield
• My horn of my salvation
• My stronghold

What does “the horn of my salvation” mean?

To help us understand this Old Testament phrase, it is helpful to look at the usage of “horn” in Old Testament sacrifices.

In Exodus 27:2, we are told, “Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.”

The horns were placed on the four corners of the altar to represent God’s strength to save. The brass overlay was required so that the horn could withstand the fire of the burnt sacrifices while supporting the altar.

When the psalmist says that God is the horn of salvation, the psalmist tells us that God is the one who is able to support the sacrifice that atones for our sin, and that God is the one who is able to withstand the fires that makes the sacrifice of Jesus effective.

God is our rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, the horn of our salvation, and our stronghold. God is all that!!!

Here’s what this means for us at a practical level. God being our rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn, and stronghold does not mean Christ-followers are shielded from the trials and tribulations of life. Instead, it means that the trials and tribulations cannot steal from Christ-followers the joy and the peace of all that God offers us in his Son, Jesus Christ.

Suffering, pain, trials, and tribulations do not cancel out God’s salvation, peace, and joy. The beauty of the salvation, peace, and joy that God offers us through Jesus means that no amount of suffering can cancel out joy.

That’s the reason why we can face death, disease, loss, and storms of this life and still have peace. The devastation and the loss is still there. It still stings. But it cannot steal joy and peace.

That is good news!

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).

The fear of death is one of the most common fears. There were a couple of times where I thought I might die.

• The first time was when I was regularly flying out to Uganda, Africa. There was a time period when there had been multiple killings and muggings of tourists on the road from the airport to the capital city of Kampala. American tourists and visitors were warned by the US to not take cabs or rides with people they didn’t know.
  
  I flew out and got onto the hotel shuttle bus. Instead of taking me to the hotel, the driver took me to a darkened field where three other Ugandans got on the bus. I thought to myself, “Well, this is it. If I’m going down, I’m not going down without a fight.”
  
  They ended up being workers at the hotel and all of us and the bus made it safely back to the hotel. But for a moment there, I really thought this was it.
  
• The second time was when the heart surgeon told me and Helen, “One in ten who have the procedure you are about to have die in the US. So, get your papers in order. Meet with a lawyer. Have a will.”

Both times, what surprised me was the lack of fear. I mean, I was nervous but there was no terror. I was not worried. I knew without a shadow of doubt what would happen when I drew my last breath here on earth. Death didn’t scare me because I knew who and what awaited me on the other side of death.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “The fear of God is the death of every other fear.” And, he’s absolutely right.

That we go through harrowing times? That’s normal.

That we face really difficult times? Nothing strange about that.

That we all die? That’s life.

And through it all, God is with us. God is our Father. God is our Savior.

There is never a there where God is not there.