Promises
Consider this. If you’re looking at a good amount of water– say a bucket, or even a pool full– how do you discern one drop from the next? Can you? And if you were to take a paper dentist cup– the tiniest little one– and draw water from the bucket or pool, can you tell the difference between the water you drew and the water still left in the larger body?
It was Romans Chapter 4 that prompted me to start looking at Yahweh’s ‘promises’ less like a bunch of singular droplets, and more like a massive, endless pool of Living Water. Scripture says: “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Romans 4:13, New English Translation)
Let’s talk about ‘promises’ versus The Promise. When a promise is mentioned in the same breath as Abraham’s name, it’s easy to point back to Genesis 12:7 (where Yahweh promises to give Abraham’s descendants the land). But consider this: that wasn’t Yahweh’s only promise to Abraham, it is just one of the most well known. I believe that this verse is also talking about these promises from Yahweh to Abraham as well: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:3).
It made me realize that these aren’t separate ‘promises’ (even though the human mind might argue that point). In fact, these are all different, perfect facets of Yahweh’s ‘Capital-P’ Promise for Abraham. So don’t just settle for ‘a promise’ or ‘some promises.’ Instead, lay hold of your exact, deep ‘Capital-P’ Promise from Yahweh. Not sure what that is? Ask him. He’ll show you.