“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 who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:6).
Without faith it is impossible to do God’s will, because it is faith that activates the power of God that enables us to do His will. It takes the operation of God’s power through faith to do His will. Once we truly understand this truth, we will desist from all our fruitless efforts of trying to please God on our own terms. Accordingly the Bible says, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” (Heb 11:11). Though Isaac was God’s perfect will because he was the son God had promised Abraham and Sarah, they had to exercise faith before Sarah could receive strength to conceive and bear a son. It is important to note that “strength” as used in this context is not human strength, but God’s power. It was Abraham’s and Sarah’s faith that activated God’s power on their behalf. Without having received God’s strength, Sarah could never have conceived, let alone bear a child.
God fulfills whatever promise He makes by His own might, and at His own time. “He has made everything beautiful in its time…” (Eccles 3:11). This was why God reintroduced Himself to Abraham (after his failed attempt to produce the promised heir in Ishmael) in the following words: “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” (Gen 17:1). He is Almighty God, and, therefore, never impressed with our puny attempts to serve Him in human strength. It is necessary to bear in mind that God will never share His glory with anyone—which is what He considers any attempt to substitute human strength for His strength.
No one can either conceive heavenly seed or bear fruit for the kingdom of God, while relying on the arm of flesh. For, as the Scripture says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (Jn 3:6). If flesh is the origin of an effort, it will only produce after its kind. Ishmael remains a timeless reminder of this fact. Both his conception and birth were the result of human contrivance, without a divine approval. Like Abraham and Sarah, Satan wants you to lean on your own understanding, rather than trust in God with all your heart, because he knows what a miserable failure it will make you. Nothing in the sphere of mere human understanding can match Satan’s ability to deceive. Therefore, Abraham’s and his wife’s attempt to modify and hasten God’s promise to fulfilment still stands as a monument to the folly of attempting to accomplish God’s will in man’s time or way.
Consequently, God waited for Abraham and Sarah to come to their wits end, before He stepped in to fulfill His promise to them. When they were at the end of their resources, and it became apparent to them that they could not bring God’s word to pass on their own, they became ready for God’s help. Faith is God’s way. Hence, seeking to achieve something God intended simply to be received, is a recipe for frustration. You don’t achieve what Christ, by His finished work, has already achieved for us. You simply receive it all with thanksgiving. This is what brings glory to God. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2Cor 1:20 NIV). Jesus has purchased all the promises of God, and has made them all, freely, available for us. Therefore, the response required of us is to speak the “Amen.”
God taught Abraham an important lesson in Genesis chapter 17:1: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” Abraham and Sarah had to learn to be in agreement with God. They needed to speak the “Amen” to God’s promise. Hence, God gave an additional instruction in Genesis chapter 17 verses 5 and 15 as follows: “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. … “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.” Abraham and Sarah had to demonstrate their faith in God by calling themselves what God called them. It did not matter what people thought of them or how contradictory their circumstances were, they were required to believe and say what God said concerning them. Only then would they see the fulfilment of His promise to them. Remember, faith is to believe and act on God’s word as quickened and applied to you by the Holy Spirit. This is how we judge God faithful, like Sarah did, and also receive divine strength to conceive and bear fruit to His glory. Shalom.
