I always am amazed when I read the story of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. His wife, Sarah, is barren— their marriage covenant has not produced any offspring nor is there any hope of offspring ever coming forth from their union.

But, amid their barrenness, God appears to Abram and makes a promise saying,

Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬

Then He goes on to say,

To your offspring I will give this land.” vs.7

To be a great nation, there must be offspring and yet that is the one thing that he and his wife do not have and cannot have. Yet, when the Lord says, “To your offspring I will give this land.”, instead of reminding God of their barrenness— Abram responds in faith and does this,

…So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.“ Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭

He not only built an altar of faith in the place where God spoke to him, but I believe that he built an altar of faith in his heart that sealed the promise. An altar of grace for the promise to rest upon.

Romans 4 reminds us of this act of faith that was fulfilled many years later when Sarah gave birth to a son well beyond the age that women could bear children (and in a barren womb).

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.“ Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭

Romans 4 goes on to describe how Abraham’s response created a place of grace for the promise of offspring and of becoming the father of nations to rest upon— his faith became his sealed guarantee,

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.“ Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭21‬

Has God made you promises that you have not seen come to pass? Have years gone by and still your promise appears barren?

If you did not build an altar of faith in your heart at the time that the promise was given then do so now. Receive His promise to you as a true and sure promise that will surely come to pass. If you did receive it as truth and added your faith to His word, have you begun to waver in disappointment, disillusionment, and unbelief at what appears to be a barren promise?

If so, ask the Lord to pick you up from your posture of unbelief and even now renew your posture of faith. Though it may be impossible in the natural, His promises are never dependent on natural means. These are supernatural promises that land on the altar of grace that comes by faith alone. You cannot earn it, for it comes by faith through grace.

As we have just entered into a new year, this is the perfect time to reposition your heart to align with faith and belief in all that God has spoken to you. Rebuild the altar of faith and trust in His promise to you. The wavering is merely creating unsteady knees and a shaking that has left you susceptible to pain and unbelief. His promise over you is as true and strong today as the day you first heard it. It has not wavered even if you have. Today is the day to attach your faith once again to the unshakable and unwavering promise that will now steady you and create a grace for your promise to rest upon.

Your response matters— I have seen this in my own life and you will see it in yours! Don’t let time and seasons that pass dictate your faith— for He is forever faithful.

About the Author

Jeffrey and Kathi Pelton understand our culture’s need for encouragement and hope. Through writing and speaking, they escort individuals into awareness of God’s profound compassion and mercy that heals brokenness, and they have a unique ability to help anyone seeking pathways into His kind embrace. For several years, the couple led a house of prayer located in Kelowna, British Columbia.

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